Kristen Stewart strives for change and speaks out against systemic discrepancies in Hollywood. With The Chronology of Water, Stewart has embarked on a journey to bring positive changes in the cinema industry. The actress has now established her theatrical ownership through her acquisition of a historic cinema with aims to make the most ideal use of it.

Stewart's bold purchase pushes her one step forward in achieving her community-based goals, while reclaiming independence, amid corporate filmmaking.

Kristen Stewart has acquired the Highland Theater which dates back to a century, to create a community space that will function as a cultural hub for all residents. She intends to transform it into a community-focused space that shows films to all audiences.

The Highland Theatre first opened in 1925 through architect Lewis Arthur Smith's design to function as a cinematic theater which operated until its closure in 2024 due to difficulties experienced during the post-pandemic period. The last films played in this theatre were Dakota Johnson's Madame Web, the Bob Marley biopic One Love and the horror movie Lisa Frankenstein.

Stewart told AD that she did not set out to buy a theater, nor was it a pretentious act for the privileged Hollywood cinephiles. But the moment the Highland came into view, her race to buy it was on. 

"This project is about creating a new school and restructuring our processes, finding a better way forward. We want to make it a family affair, something for the community. It’s not just for pretentious Hollywood cinephiles. I see it as an antidote to all the corporate bull----," the actress told the outlet.

The actress envisioned the theater as a place to gather and scheme and dream together, emphasizing that it should be a family affair, something for the community, not just a vainglorious ordeal.

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The project, which Stewart described as an antidote to the corporate miasma of mainstream transactional cinema culture, would provide neighbors and families with an option to experience cinema outdoors, fostering new ideas.

Kristen Stewart's vision combines community-based participation with cinematic artistic expression to create a project which honors both historical and contemporary time periods. The actress marches forward with new ideas that would, in turn, contribute to the progress of Hollywood as an industry. The theater will undergo restoration of its original architectural elements while its historical aspects will be preserved through new cultural activities and community programs, which will be introduced to the venue.

"There are so many beautiful details that need to be restored. There’s a way to bring the building back to life in a way that embraces its history but also brings something new to the neighborhood and something new to the whole LA film community. That’s the point — new ideas," she told AD. 

“The narrow path that’s been forged has to be broadened, not by tokenized diversity but by doing things really differently. We can’t keep making the same movie over and over again. And we can’t turn our backs on the people who are most in need," the actress and director added. 

Stewart, who has now joined the ranks of Quentin Tarantino, owns two historic LA movie theaters: New Beverly Cinema and the Vista Theatre, maintains her Los Angeles roots while working to develop the city's art scene through a project which supports marginalized communities and modernizes film consumption methods, one bold move or movie at a time.

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