Editor’s Note: “Mountain Movie Palaces” is an 828newsNOW miniseries spotlighting the independent movie theaters of Western North Carolina. From historic, single-screen arthouse theaters to unique, independently-operated multiplexes, we seek to celebrate the community of cinema through these feature stories.
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Smoky Mountain Cinema is an independent, three-screen movie theater tucked in the corner of a Waynesville shopping center. Despite its modest size, the theater is run with a colossal amount of experience.
Read more about our latest Mountain Movie Palace below.
Where is Smoky Mountain Cinema?
Smoky Mountain Cinema is located in Waynesville Plaza, a shopping center just off of U.S. Route 74 to the north of downtown Waynesville, N.C.
Theater features
Location: 235 Waynesville Plaza, Waynesville, N.C.
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, with hours typically ranging from 10 a.m. at the earliest to 10 p.m. at the latest.
Number of screens: Three
Number of staff: 10
Type of theater: First-run
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Greg Israel, the owner and operator of Smoky Mountain Cinema, has been in the movie theater game for 40 years.
“I started out, I guess, 1986? I was working for Litchfield then, then they sold it to United Artists,” Israel reflected. “I worked for United Artists, I worked for Regal, I worked for Carmike, AMC, General Cinemas. I got an opportunity to [open Smoky Mountain Cinema], and I decided it was time to do that.”
For Israel, opening Smoky Mountain Cinema was an opportunity to use his lengthy resume to create a quality theatrical experience for the people of Waynesville.
“We want to make sure that Haywood County, Canton, Waynesville knows that we’re their movie theater,” Israel said.
The theater works closely with several communities around the region, regularly hosting school groups and churches. One local congregation even organizes a monthly “faith film night” at the theater. Israel’s favorite population to serve, however, are kids.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching kids come in for the first time. Seeing their eyes light up? That’s been my biggest driver,” Israel said. “We saw a lot of that after Covid, because kids didn’t come out. School groups would come in and I’d be like, hey, how many people have never been to the movies? And, talking about four or five-year-olds, none of them had ever been, and they were just so excited.”
Most of the programming at Smoky Mountain Cinema is family-friendly. Israel said that the three-screen theater usually fills at least two of its spots with big blockbusters, mixing in the occasional horror film or adult drama along the way. Even so, Israel said that programming can be a gamble, no matter what the crop of movies is.
“Our business has fundamentally changed for everybody. I don’t care what kind of movies that you’re doing. It’s very much like a roller coaster,” Israel said. “The best example I’ll give you is after Thanksgiving last year, we did 1,000 people. But, two or three weeks before that, when there were no new movies, we did 30 people. So, it’s very much up and down.”
“Up and down” is something the theater is used to. Israel opened the cinema just a few months before the Covid-19 pandemic. While the theater persisted – largely through the help of a temporary “drive-in” that Israel established in the parking lot – the movie industry took another blow during the 2023 Screen Actors Guild strikes, which shut down production on new films for months. After that, in September 2024, Western North Carolina was hit by Tropical Storm Helene, the wide-ranging damage of which significantly impeded tourism in the region.
Israel has been relieved that, in 2026, Smoky Mountain Cinema has started the year with no major impediments.
“This is the first year since we’ve been open we will have a full slate of movies,” Israel said.
The theater is well-equipped to showcase that slate to the public. Projection in the theater’s three auditoriums is bright, the seats are comfortable and the rooms are outfitted with a quality sound system.
The concession stand rivals the best of what chains like Regal and AMC can offer, with its own popcorn deal, to boot.
“You buy the annual bucket, bring it back all year long, it’s cheaper than a small refill and saves you money. We sell a lot of them,” Israel explained.
While Israel has a flair for customer service and the business experience to back it up, the movie theater owner said that running his cinema all comes down to one thing.
“I love movies,” Israel smiled. “I mean, you can’t not love movies and be in this business.”
Find more information about Smoky Mountain Cinema, including the movies now playing there, at www.smokymountaincinema.com.
For more Mountain Movie Palaces, read our previous features: