Reported on August 24, 2026, Harbor Lights Entertainment, the American company jointly controlled by the Ellison family and RedBird Capital, completed the sale of its Brazilian cinema business, comprising the UCI and UCI Kinoplex brands, to a joint venture between Cine Araújo and Grupo Vila Rica. The assets sold include 25 cinema complexes with more than 200 screens across 11 Brazilian states, including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Cine Araújo is a São Paulo based chain owned by businessman Marcos Silva Araújo. Grupo Vila Rica owns the Minas Gerais based Cineart circuit and the distributor Cineart Filmes. UCI Kinoplex was held jointly with the Severiano Ribeiro group, though ownership percentages were not disclosed. Harbor Lights Entertainment, formerly known as National Amusements, was renamed after David Ellison’s 2024 acquisition of the vehicle historically associated with the Redstone family media empire. The sale process was competitive, with at least one other offer submitted. The transaction value was not disclosed, though UCI reported 360 million reais in Brazilian revenue in 2024. No advisers were named.
Sources:
O Globo Capital. https://oglobo.globo.com/blogs/capital/post/2026/08/paramount-vende-rede-de-cinemas-uci-no-brasil.ghtml