Regal may sell its movie theaters to British company Cineworld

The nation’s second-largest movie theater owner may be in talks to sell itself to a British company.

Regal Entertainment, which is based in Knoxville, Tenn., could sell to the London-based Cineworld Group, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

If a deal is struck, the British movie theater chain could buy Regal for $3.6 billion. Regal theaters at the Fairfield Commons mall in Beavercreek, Deerfield Towne Center in Mason and Georgesville Square in Columbus.

It’s thought that if the two movie theater chains joined, they would be able to better compete with Chinese-owned AMC Entertainment, which is the largest cinema operator in the world, according to the Times.

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AMC Entertainment bought Kansas-based Carmike Cinemas last year for $1.2 billion. The 2016 deal between AMC and Carmike pushed AMC past Regal as the No. 1 cinema chain in the United States, according to the Times.

AMC has a movie theater just south of Dayton in West Chester and several locations in the greater Columbus area.

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