DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA – Blackhawk’s long-anticipated return of big-screen movies just hit another delay. Apple Cinemas, the small New England chain that leased the former Century Blackhawk Plaza site, has pushed its opening to an unspecified date in 2026—after telling locals it would debut this summer.
The last-minute postponement came July 30, one day before the planned ribbon-cutting, and followed the chain’s July 10 launch of its first West Coast location in San Francisco. Days later, Apple Inc. sued Apple Cinemas over trademark issues, and the company confirmed the Blackhawk delay “until next year.”
The new timeline caps nearly three years of waiting since Cinemark shuttered Century Blackhawk Plaza at the end of its lease on Dec. 4, 2022. At the time, Cinemark called the closure “normal course of business,” leaving Danville without a neighborhood multiplex and pushing moviegoers to Dublin, Livermore, or farther afield.
What changed this week
In a story published late Tuesday, DanvilleSanRamon.com reported Apple Cinemas had officially postponed its Blackhawk opening to “an unspecified date in 2026.” The piece notes the theater operator announced the delay on July 30 and was served with Apple Inc.’s federal complaint on Aug. 1 covering all 12 of its locations, including Danville.
The lawsuit alleges Apple Cinemas is trading on the tech company’s brand; Apple Cinemas says its name reflects its Rhode Island roots and that its branding is distinct. No court hearings were scheduled as of Tuesday.
SFGATE first flagged the trademark fight last week, detailing Apple’s cease-and-desist letters to the Blackhawk and San Francisco landlords and the company’s request for an injunction that could force the theater chain to stop using the “Apple” name and related marks.
A promise that keeps slipping
When property managers announced in November 2023 that Apple Cinemas would take over the 26,200-square-foot space, the cinema was pitched as part of a broader turnaround for Blackhawk Plaza alongside new tenants like Combat Sports Academy.
That initial optimism carried into this spring, when plaza stakeholders told the Pleasanton Weekly they expected the theater to “bring more people to the center.” But by February, on-site signs still read only “Coming Soon,” with interior renovations visible but no opening date posted—an early hint that the timeline was sliding.
What it means for Blackhawk
Practically, the delay prolongs the gap left by Century’s 2022 departure and San Ramon’s Regal Crow Canyon closure earlier that same year. For now, the closest first-run multiplex remains Regal Hacienda Crossings in Dublin, while Livermore’s indie-minded Vine Cinema offers a smaller lineup a bit farther away.
For merchants inside the plaza, the wait continues for the movie-night foot traffic they’ve been banking on since 2023.
The bottom line
After multiple missed targets, Apple Cinemas now says Blackhawk won’t open before 2026—and that timeline is arriving under the cloud of a high-profile trademark lawsuit. Until there’s a court resolution or a rebrand, don’t expect the project to move quickly. For residents eager to buy tickets close to home, the long intermission goes on.
So sad