If you want to see “The Odyssey” in 70mm IMAX, there are only two options in the Bay Area: the AMC Metreon in San Francisco and the Regal Hacienda Crossings in Dublin. Screenings over the next few weeks at both theaters are either sold out or nearly so.
IMAX is the hottest premium large format for movies on the planet right now, and the number of IMAX screens — especially the rare 70mm ones — are dwarfed by the demand. Tickets for “The Odyssey” on the resale market are going for hundreds of dollars over the face value for some screenings.
So why not revive the Century 21 theater in San Jose and turn it into a first-class IMAX theater for Silicon Valley?
Part of the original marquee sign for the Century 21, 22 and 23 movie theaters that was a landmark on Winchester Boulevard for decades, was restored and moved next to the Century 21, photographed Aug. 20, 2026. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
The Century 21 theater in San Jose, photographed here in 2023, was designated a city landmark in 2014 but has remained empty since that year. Along with the Towne and Burbank theaters, it was added to the Preservation Action Council’s “Endangered 8” list for 2025. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
Angelina King and Derek See, a married couple from Mountain View, attend the special Raiders of the Lost Ark movie screening at the closing night special for the Century 21 dome theater Sunday, March 30, 2014, in San Jose, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
(TEF Design)
Cutaway view of domed former Century 21 movie theater building at 3161 Olsen Drive in San Jose, concept.
(TEF Design)
(TEF Design)
Entry area of domed former Century 21 movie theater building at 3161 Olsen Drive in San Jose, concept.
(TEF Design)
(TEF Design)
Domed former Century 21 movie theater building at 3161 Olsen Drive in San Jose, view from the south, concept.
(TEF Design)
(Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News)
(Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News)
The Century 21 dome theater in San Jose, Calif. on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Preservationists have been working for many months to save the Century 21 dome, including an online change.org petition that has gathered more than 5,800 signatures since June 2013.
Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
Film buffs circle the Century 21 dome theater for its final screening Sunday, March 30, 2014, in San Jose, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
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Part of the original marquee sign for the Century 21, 22 and 23 movie theaters that was a landmark on Winchester Boulevard for decades, was restored and moved next to the Century 21, photographed Aug. 20, 2026. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
The domed theater on Winchester Boulevard, which opened in 1964, has been shuttered since 2014. Its status as a historic landmark saved it from being demolished like all its sister theaters, but Santana Row owner Federal Realty controls its fate. Plans were announced for an adaptive re-use of the structure — as a fitness center, cafe and conference facility — but no on-site work appears to be happening yet.
In other words, it may still be possible to bring it back as a movie theater.
The idea isn’t without challenges. At the premiere of “The Odyssey,” IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said the biggest reason there aren’t more 70mm film IMAX theaters — only about 30 are in the United States out of 41 worldwide — is because nobody’s made the projectors for about 50 years. They also require specialized projectionists who know how to handle the large film format. (When The Tech in San Jose had a 70mm IMAX film projector, visitors could see the giant reels that each movie was delivered on.)
Nearly all the IMAX screens in the Bay Area — as well as the 1,800 around the world — are converted multiplex screens with digital projectors that offer a more immersive image and better quality sound but aren’t presented in the original aspect ratio — an image that’s taller than it is wide. The size of the Century 21 — 55 feet high and 124 feet in diameter — should allow it to have a screen big enough to show that 70mm IMAX format along with regular widescreen presentations.
Since the building is essentially an empty shell right now, it could be retro-fitted with state-of-the-art theater equipment. That would make it a lasting monument to cinema’s Golden Age — the Century 21 was originally designed to show ultrawide Cinerama movies — that still could provide the modern theater experience today’s audiences expect.
Is this a pie-in-the-sky dream to spend somebody else’s money? Sure, but it still could be a great investment.
Netflix — which is headquartered in Los Gatos — bought the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood in 2020 and turned it into not only a showcase for its own movies but classic screenings curated by American Cinematheque. And in July, Sony — which owns the Alamo Drafthouse chain — announced it had purchased the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, with a goal of restoring the 956-seat theater and reopening it in 2028.
Even when the IMAX craze eventually fades, modern audiences have spoken with their box-office dollars that if they’re going to get off the couch, they want a theatrical experience they can’t get at home. The Century 21 was designed to do that in 1964 and it could be doing it again today.
FOOD FEST RETURNS: The sights, sounds and especially the flavors of San Jose’s Little Portugal will fill the air Saturday for the second annual Battle of the Bifanas. There’s a lot packed into the cook-off and festival noon to 10 p.m. window, including a chef’s showcase featuring Adega Executive Chef David Costa, a rice-eating contest, dance performances, the judging of the titular Portuguese pork sandwich and a headliner performance by the band Caixa.
The event, at the IES Portuguese Hall at 1401 E. Santa Clara St., is free to attend, and you can get more information at www.battleofthebifanas.com.
ART AND ABOUT: More than 250 fine artists will have their work displayed this weekend at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts. You can browse along University Avenue downtown during the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce event, which runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. If you prefer art of an audio variety, there’ll be lots of live music on multiple stages, and you can even try your hand at playing the piano at Chopin & Chandeliers, the interactive installation on the corner of Bryant and University. If you do stop by to tickle the ivories, take a close look at the Chihuly-like chandelier art — they’re actually made of recycled plastic bottles.
Get more information at www.paloaltochamber.com/festival-of-the-arts.