No wrecking ball for The Mayan....for now.

The curtain's rising

For a moment last month, it appeared gnashed teeth, rended clothes and yanked hair were in the offing for Denver's indie-film lovers.

The block that includes the Mayan Theatre had been sold to an out-of-town developer. And although the architecturally unique building has landmark status, that peculiar armor does not protect it from the wrecking ball.

But the new owners have said they have no intention of tearing the theater down. And Landmark Theatres, the muscular art-house chain that runs the Mayan, now has signed a new long-term lease.

"We have plans to be in the Mayan for a long time to come," said Bill Banowsky, CEO of Landmark. "The Mayan is important to to us on a national scale. It's consistently recognized as one of the 10 most beautiful theaters in the country. In many ways it defines what Landmark is about. Taking these movie palaces and finding a new life for them."