Movie Theaters in The Villages: The Old Mill Playhouse, What Happened to the Rialto and the Barnstorm, and the Nearest Other Screens

How many movie theaters are in The Villages?

One, as of November 2026. The Epic Theatres Old Mill Playhouse at Lake Sumter Landing is the only working cinema inside The Villages. Each of the three original town squares once had a theater, but the Rialto at Spanish Springs became a gym and the Barnstorm at Brownwood has not reopened since the pandemic.

For most of the community's history, a movie was part of the town square routine. Spanish Springs had the Rialto, Lake Sumter Landing had the Old Mill Playhouse, and Brownwood had the Barnstorm. Two of those three rooms have gone dark, and only one was replaced with anything at all.

If you are still getting your bearings on the squares themselves, our town squares guide compares all three side by side, including the free nightly music.

Sources: Villages-News, September 20, 2022 and May 4, 2023; Cinema Treasures pages for the Old Mill Playhouse and the Barnstorm Theater; Lake and Sumter Style, November 4, 2024. Accessed November 5, 2026.

What does a movie at the Old Mill Playhouse cost?

Epic Theatres posts these Old Mill Playhouse prices: $10.28 for an adult evening show after 3:59 p.m., $9.11 for an adult matinee, $9.11 for seniors 55 and over at any show, $8.41 for residents at any show, and $7.94 for children 1 to 11. 3D adds $3.04. The page shows no effective date.

The resident price is the one to notice. It is the lowest adult ticket on the board, and it applies to every show, evenings included. The Epic page does not say what proof of residency it asks for, so bring your Villages Resident ID and ask at the box office.

Reader-submitted prices on Bigscreen from October 2024 run a few cents lower ($10.25 evening, $8.50 resident), which suggests small yearly adjustments. Treat any price you see, including these, as a snapshot.

The room and the schedule

• Address: 1000 Old Mill Run, The Villages, FL 32162, on Lake Sumter Landing Market Square.
• Screens: 8, per Cinema Treasures.
• Typical day: the first week of November 2026 listed about 14 titles, with shows starting from about 10 a.m. and the last ones starting around 7 to 8 p.m.
• The mix: new releases sit alongside anniversary screenings and specialty events. That same week included a 20th anniversary showing of V for Vendetta and a filmed stage production from Sight and Sound.
• Phone: Epic's page lists 352-810-3497 and oldmill@epic-theatres.com. Bigscreen and Cinema Treasures still show 352-259-1111. Use the Epic number first.

Sources: epictheatres.com Old Mill Playhouse page; Bigscreen schedule and ticket price pages; Cinema Treasures; accessed November 5, 2026.

Does the Old Mill Playhouse still host live shows?

Yes. The Villages Entertainment still books live events into the building, listed as Epic Theatres Old Mill Playhouse theatre or lobby. Its November and December 2026 calendar includes a comedy night on November 6 and a staged reading of Love Letters on November 8. Movie times come from Epic; live show tickets come from The Villages Entertainment.

This trips up newcomers. The building has two calendars run by two different organizations:

• Movies: Epic Theatres sells these and posts showtimes on its Old Mill Playhouse page.
• Live performances: The Villages Entertainment lists comedy nights, plays and parties on its Playhouse Performances page, with events through at least December 9, 2026 as of today. Some are in the theater, some in the lobby.

When Epic took over in late 2023, Lake and Sumter Style reported that Lazy Mac's Taco Shack and the nightly entertainment inside the playhouse would end on September 30, 2023, and that concessions would change. So if a longtime resident describes tacos and a band inside the theater, they are remembering the old format.

For the bigger stage shows, The Sharon at Spanish Springs is a different kind of night out. Our guide to The Sharon covers its season and box office rules.

Sources: thevillagesentertainment.com Playhouse Performances page; Lake and Sumter Style, September 8, 2023; accessed November 5, 2026.

What happened to the Rialto Theatre at Spanish Springs?

The Rialto opened in 1998 and closed for a planned renovation in December 2019. It never reopened as a cinema. In September 2022 Villages-News reported it would stop showing movies and become a gym, and Genesis Health Club opened in the former Rialto in November 2024 at 1105 Alonzo Avenue in Spanish Springs.

The Rialto was the original Villages movie house, on the Spanish Springs Town Square. Its timeline, from the reporting and the developer's own announcement:

1. 1998: opens on the Spanish Springs square.
2. December 2019: closes for what was described as a planned renovation.
3. September 2022: Villages-News reports it will no longer show movies. Genesis Health Clubs, which had bought the MVP Athletic Clubs at Spanish Springs and Brownwood in May 2022, plans to move in.
4. 2023: remodeling permits are filed with the Town of Lady Lake, naming the future club Genesis Health Club at Rialto.
5. November 2024: Genesis celebrates its grand opening in the former theater, with two floors of equipment, three class studios and a spin studio, per Lake and Sumter Style. The developer's announcement is dated November 8, 2024.

So the building is busy again, just not with movies. If you live near Spanish Springs, your closest cinema is now the Old Mill Playhouse at Lake Sumter Landing.

Sources: Villages-News, September 20, 2022 and May 11, 2023; thevillages.com, Genesis Health Club Now Open in Spanish Springs; Lake and Sumter Style, November 4, 2024; accessed November 5, 2026.

Is the Barnstorm Theater at Brownwood reopening?

No reopening has been announced. The Barnstorm at Brownwood Paddock Square opened in October 2012 and closed in March 2020. In May 2023 a developer representative said at a town hall that there was no plan to reopen it. A resident petition in 2024 gathered more than 3,500 signatures, and Villages-News listings still showed it closed in late October 2026.

The Barnstorm was the newest of the three, an 8-screen first-run theater at 2720 Brownwood Boulevard with leather rocker seats, according to Cinema Treasures. After the March 2020 closure, part of the building was used for pandemic testing and treatment.

What has been said since:

• May 2023: Villages-News reported that Gary Lester, a vice president at The Villages, told a homeowners group town hall there was no plan to reopen, tying any change to a national recovery in moviegoing.
• June 2024: a petition led by a resident gathered more than 3,500 signatures, Villages-News reported, asking for the theater to reopen.
• October 30, 2026: the Villages-News weekly movie listings page still describes the Barnstorm as closed.

No page read for this post names a new tenant for the building. If that changes, it will matter most to anyone weighing a home within an easy ride of Brownwood.

Sources: Cinema Treasures, Barnstorm Theater; Villages-News, May 4, 2023, June 30, 2024 and the movie listings page; accessed November 5, 2026.

Where are the nearest movie theaters outside The Villages?

The closest options are AMC Lake Square 12 on US Highway 441 in Leesburg, Epic Theatres at Mount Dora on Spring Harbor Boulevard, and three Ocala theaters: Epic Theatres of Ocala, Regal Hollywood and IMAX, and the classic film screenings at the downtown Marion Theatre. Each lists something the Old Mill Playhouse does not.

A few notes on the list:

• Big formats are outside. If you want IMAX, the Regal in Ocala is the one that lists it. Epic's XL rooms are in Mount Dora and Ocala, not at the Old Mill.
• Recliners: AMC Lake Square 12 and Epic Mount Dora both list recliner seating. The Old Mill's Epic page lists no seating features at all.
• The Marion Theatre had classic films on its listing for November 5, 2026, including Holiday Inn (1942). Its own site blocks automated reading, so call 352-629-6300 to confirm what is showing.
• The Ocala Drive-In is still listed by Atom Tickets at 4850 South Pine Avenue, Ocala, but its old web address now leads to a domain sale page, so its schedule could not be confirmed. Call ahead.

Drive times depend on which village you start from, so I have left them out rather than guess. Map it from your actual street.

Sources: epictheatres.com theater list and theater pages; Cinema Treasures, AMC Lake Square 12; Atom Tickets pages for AMC Lake Square 12, Regal Hollywood and IMAX Ocala and Ocala theaters; Moviefone, Marion Theatre; accessed November 5, 2026.

Which nearby theater has the lowest senior ticket?

On posted prices, Epic Theatres at Mount Dora has the lowest senior matinee at $6.54 for ages 60 and over. At the Old Mill Playhouse the senior price is $9.11 at any time for ages 55 and over, and the resident price is $8.41. Epic Ocala charges seniors $9.07 on weekdays and $10.00 on weekends.

Senior pricing is not uniform, even within one company. The age line moves too: Epic uses 55 and over at the Old Mill but 60 and over in Mount Dora and Ocala.

The AMC and Regal pages read for this post did not show senior prices, so they are not in the table. Check those chains' own apps for current pricing.

The math rarely decides the trip on its own. A two-dollar saving disappears quickly if it means a longer drive after dark. For a full view of what everyday life costs, including the amenity fee and the bond, the true monthly cost calculator is the better place to spend your spreadsheet energy.

Sources: epictheatres.com pages for Old Mill Playhouse, Mount Dora and Ocala, accessed November 5, 2026.

What should you know before your first movie at the Old Mill?

Check showtimes on Epic's Old Mill Playhouse page the day you go, since third-party listings can lag. Bring your Resident ID for the resident price. Look for captioned showings, which several films carry. For accessibility needs, call ahead, because one listing site marks the theater not accessible and Epic's page says nothing either way.

• Use the source for showtimes. On November 5, 2026, the Villages-News listing and Bigscreen disagreed on several times by 10 to 15 minutes, and one listed an 8 p.m. show the other did not. Epic's own page is the one to trust.
• Captions and description. Bigscreen tags many Old Mill showings with closed caption, hearing impaired and vision impaired labels. Ask at the box office how devices are handed out.
• Accessibility. Bigscreen's info page answers no to handicapped accessible, which may simply be outdated. Epic's accessibility page covers only its website. Call 352-810-3497 before you plan around a wheelchair or walker.
• Pair it with the square. The Old Mill sits on Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, so a matinee and an early dinner, or an evening show after the free square music starts, both fit naturally.
• Live shows are separate. If you want a comedy night or a play in the same building, buy through The Villages Entertainment, not Epic.

Sources: epictheatres.com Old Mill Playhouse and accessibility pages; Bigscreen schedule and info pages; Villages-News movie listings; accessed November 5, 2026.

The local take

I was born and raised in Marion County and I represent buyers independently, so I look at a lifestyle question like this the way I look at a commute. Here is how I would think about it if movies are part of your weekly routine.

One theater changes the geography. When every square had a cinema, a movie was always local. Now it is local only if you live within an easy ride of Lake Sumter Landing. From the villages near Spanish Springs or Brownwood, and especially from the newer villages south of SR 44, a movie is a destination. Our CR 466 to CR 466A section guide covers the housing stock in the part of the community around Lake Sumter Landing.

The trade-off people miss is the outside options. If you care about IMAX, recliners or a large format screen, the theater you will actually use may be in Leesburg, Mount Dora or Ocala, not The Villages. Which of those is closest depends on where in the community you live, so put your second-choice theater on the map when you compare homes, not just the Old Mill.

What I would check: the real drive or cart time from a specific street to the Old Mill and to your second-choice theater, at the hour you would actually go; whether that route needs a car after dark; and what is planned for empty buildings near you, because a dormant theater can become something else. I can map any address you are considering against all of it.

Frequently asked questions

Who runs the movie theater in The Villages now?

Epic Theatres, a theater chain with locations across Florida, has operated the Old Mill Playhouse since November 1, 2023. Before that it was run by The Villages Entertainment. The theater is now listed as the Epic Theatres Old Mill Playhouse, and movie tickets and showtimes are on Epic's website.

Do you have to be a resident to see a movie at the Old Mill Playhouse?

No page read for this post limits movie tickets to residents. Epic posts general adult, senior and child prices alongside a separate resident price of $8.41, which suggests anyone can attend and residents pay less. Bring your Villages Resident ID if you want the resident rate, and ask the box office what it accepts.

Does the Old Mill Playhouse show older or classic films?

Sometimes. In the first week of November 2026 its listings included a 20th anniversary screening of V for Vendetta, and the Villages-News listing page mentioned showings of Scream and The Shawshank Redemption plus a mystery film event. Specialty screenings change weekly, so check Epic's page or the Villages-News weekly listings.

Where can I find this week's movie times for The Villages?

Epic Theatres' Old Mill Playhouse page is the primary source. Villages-News also publishes a weekly movie listings page, which was last updated October 30, 2026 when this post was written. Third-party listings sometimes disagree by a few minutes, so use Epic's page on the day you go.

Is there an IMAX theater near The Villages?

The closest one found is Regal Hollywood and IMAX at 2801 SW 27th Avenue in Ocala, which lists IMAX and RealD 3D among its 16 auditoriums. Epic Theatres in Ocala and Mount Dora offer a large format they call Epic XL, with a surcharge of $3.95 and $3.74 respectively as of November 2026.

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