Posted June 25, 2017 08:47:42

Photo: Work might start in 18 months on a multi-cinema complex. (ABC News: Matthew Smith)

One of the people who saved and revitalised Adelaide's Chelsea Cinema in the eastern suburbs wants to expand the rebadged Regal Theatre into a multi-screen complex.

Michael Todd's company, which ran another eastern suburbs cinema, the Trak, took over the troubled Chelsea in 2012 and renamed it.

Mr Todd is calling in the architects for a multi-million-dollar expansion which could see up to five additional cinemas built next door to the Regal, in Kensington Road.

"For the viability of the modern cinema, albeit a single screen, one needs complementary screens for film to keep the enterprise rolling," he said.

Photo: Bob Cornish fell from the cinema's roof and died. (Supplied: Regal Theatre)

If approvals and finance can be obtained, an expansion could start within 18 months, he said.

The Adelaide businessman has returned full-time to the job in recent months after having dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Not long after he had taken on the Chelsea site, Mr Todd's close friend Bob Cornish fell from the cinema roof and died.

"I loved him like I loved my own father and to see that happen was hard work and I, for a very long time and still to a certain extent today, feel a sense of responsibility about that," he said.

He promised the art deco Regal would be largely untouched when more cinemas were put on neighbouring land.

Expansion has the provisional support of a lobby group which fought to save the Chelsea Cinema.

"Complementary or sympathetic additions and enhancements, I think, can only be to the good of the whole site and the future viability of that operation," lobbyist Andrew Phillips said.

Photo: Michael Todd says people like going out to see movies. (ABC News: Matthew Smith)

The community lobby group maintains a keen interest in the Regal Theatre's future after waging a long campaign to keep the doors open five years ago.

Mr Todd said the local entertainment market was competitive but the eastern suburbs cinema could find a healthy future.

"People have been saying cinema has been dying for 60 years — we've got TV, video, DVD and now we have online," he said.

"We'll survive. We always will. People want to get out."

Burnside Council said it would wait to see any development plan before commenting.

Topics: urban-development-and-planning, human-interest, community-and-society, community-organisations, local-government, film-movies, arts-and-entertainment, kensington-park-5068, adelaide-5000, sa