The sign pictured at right showed up this weekend in the ticket window of the shuttered Mann National in Westwood Village, calling into question reports of the big-screen movie house's reported "date with the wrecking ball."

As previously mentioned on LAO, the Mann National is one of a dwindling number of big-screen theaters still standing in LA. It's a place where "The Exorcist opened to huge lines and ran what seemed like forever, and same for The Godfather."

Perhaps this means it has achieved a stay of execution, as some had hoped would happen.

For now, all I know is that the sign says "Theatre opening Friday May 11th."

*UPDATED: Mann Theatres no longer leases the theater building and referred questions about its operation to Tom Daugherty, who said during a brief telephone interview that he and a partner now hold the lease. Daugherty said the ticket window sign is correct, that the theatre will reopen this Friday (May 11) with The Ex, starring Zach Braff and Amanda Peet.

Daugherty said movie goers can expect the theatre to continue to show first-run features, just as it did under Mann.

*UPDATED UPDATE: Curbed LA gets some bad news from an unnamed source, who sounds kinda wonkish, so I'm going to guess she's/he's a city planner. Short version: This could be but a brief reprieve for the National.