Jordan Stancil, the new owner of Chicago’s 400 Theater in Rogers Park, was raised in the movie business.
His great-grandfather started a small empire of theaters in northern Michigan. As a teenager growing up in Grayling, Michigan, Stancil made popcorn and took tickets at The Rialto, which was then the last surviving cinema in the family’s portfolio.
Now, the 52-year-old former foreign service officer and one-time Democratic candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives is going all in and expanding the business once again. Next up: reopening the beloved 400 Theater this Friday, marking a new chapter for the historic cinema, which closed in 2023 after more than a century of continuous operation under various names and owners.
Before signing the five-year lease last November, Stancil conducted an informal canvass of the neighborhood: asking people he passed on the street if they knew about The 400 Theater. It didn’t take long to glean how much the space means to nearby residents, even if it’s not the type of venue that has oversized reclining chairs or upscale concessions.
“The commitment to the theater in the neighborhood is really strong,” Stancil said. “People want The 400 to remain a theater.”
And Stancil is eager to reopen the somewhat-scrappy neighborhood theater, which is why he’ll start showing movies, even before many of his planned updates are underway.
“This isn’t something where we’re going to remodel for a year without being open,” Stancil said. “I think we need to start interacting with the community; we want to be a living part of the neighborhood, and you can only do that by being open.”
Plus, he said matter-of-factly: “Rent is due on the first of every month.”
“Sometimes people say, ‘Who’s the investor?’ Well, the investors are the people that buy tickets week after week,” he said. “This is a bootstrap kind of thing.”
One week before opening, the space on Sheridan Road is a hub of activity: Two men are troubleshooting audio in one of the theaters, another is working on the bathrooms and a team outside is inspecting the light-up sign. Down the main hallway, there are movie posters advertising “Barbie” and “Blue Beetle” — some of the last titles shown in this space before it closed.
In terms of upgrades, Stancil is starting with the basics: Focusing first on improving the visual and audio side of the operation. On opening day, the plan is for two of the four theaters to be up and running, showing the summer blockbuster, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” and the R-rated “I Want Your Sex,” starring Olivia Wilde.
“I think the first thing for me is to just present the movie in the best possible way that we can do in these rooms that we have,” Stancil said. “Then I think the next step will be improving the amenities like seating.”
Stancil, whose family has run movie theaters in Michigan for generations, said his first priority was improving the audio and visual technology in the theaters. “I think the first thing for me is to just present the movie in the best possible way that we can,” he said.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Over time, Stancil also plans to completely overhaul the lobby, reimagining it in an Art Deco style. When asked what the project will cost him, Stancil declined to give even a ballpark, saying only, “more than I would like it to, but probably less than it could have.”
In the world of independently-owned movie theaters, margins are tight. And operators like Stancil are facing soaring utility prices (“electricity just goes up and up and up”), paired with a drop in the number of films Hollywood releases.
But still, Stancil is optimistic about the future. “I think that this is going to be a good era for moviegoing,” he said. “It’s just never going to be as cool to sit at home on your couch compared to going out, so I don’t think the theatrical model will really ever go away.”
It’s a belief shared by other independent movie theater owners across town, like Lake View’s Music Box, which recently added a third theater to its Southport headquarters and expanded into Minnesota. And, in suburban Skokie, the new owners of a historic theater plan to screen films, in addition to hosting live theater and comedy.
In an era when some large movie theater chains are struggling amid the surge in at-home streaming, Stancil’s portfolio has been profitable. The 400 is the third theater he owns, in addition to the Rialto in his hometown and a second location he opened in April in Big Rapids, Michigan.
Stancil said his recipe for success includes opening in densely populated, walkable communities; showing a large volume of titles (he plans for 40-50 per month at The 400) that range from first-run films to independent movies and repertory throwbacks; and keeping ticket prices low.
He wants The 400 to be less of a special-occasion destination and more of a place people go over and over again, whether for “Paw Patrol” with their kids or for specialty programming like a planned Sam Neill retrospective or Kristen Stewart series.
Tickets will cost $11 at night, $8.50 in the afternoons, $6 on Tuesdays and $6 for children, plus tax, Stancil said.
“I don’t think this is a luxury good. I think this is one of these really beautiful, simple parts of life,” Stancil said. “It’s like if you go have a cup of coffee, it’s a little bit of an expense, but most people can go do that without being too worried, and that’s what movie theaters should be.”
What’s Stancil’s favorite movie? “I like whatever’s playing Friday,” he said. “It’s definitely what you should come to.”
Courtney Kueppers is an arts and culture reporter at WBEZ.