{"id":778269,"date":"2026-07-22T17:42:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T17:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/778269\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T17:42:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T17:42:08","slug":"cinerama-dome-saved-by-sony-alamo-drafthouse-theater-to-reopen-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/778269\/","title":{"rendered":"Cinerama Dome Saved by Sony, Alamo Drafthouse; Theater to Reopen Soon"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tViva la Cinerama Dome<\/a>! Sony is officially reviving one of Hollywood\u2019s most beloved and iconic movie theaters, which has been shuttered since 2020.<\/p>\n

\n\tSony Pictures Entertainment, which began investing in exhibition with the purchase of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas in 2024, announced plans to restore the Cinerama Dome and reopen it in 2028. The historic theater went dark during the pandemic and, to the dismay of Angelenos, remained permanently closed after its owners Pacific Theatres, which includes Arclight Cinemas, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy<\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs part of the deal, Sony will also\u00a0reopen the adjacent 14-screen theater complex, formerly ArcLight Cinemas, as an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The multiplex will offer\u00a0Alamo Drafthouse\u2019s signature dine-in services and the complex will retain 35mm capabilities to showcase archival film prints and house several premium format screens, including 70mm auditoriums.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHot damn! We\u2019re bringing the Dome back, baby. We believe in moviegoing down to our soul, and no venue on earth stands more for that than the one-of-a-kind Dome. I am deeply proud that Sony is investing in Hollywood, literally,\u201d\u00a0said Sony\u2019s motion picture group chairman and CEO Tom Rothman.\u00a0\u201cThe Dome has hosted generations of unforgettable movie moments. Our goal is\u00a0to\u00a0preserve its legendary\u00a0history\u00a0while ensuring it remains vibrant\u00a0now and far into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Dome isn\u2019t ready to reopen its doors to patrons just yet. The venue will undergo restorative renovations that start next month and are expected to extend through 2028. Although Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas will operate the space, Sony promises \u201cits\u00a0historic legacy and\u00a0singular moviegoing experience will be honored and carefully preserved, with\u00a0the iconic \u2018Cinerama\u2019\u00a0name and exterior branding left intact.\u201d The Dome will not operate as a dine-in theater,\u00a0though the traditional programming will including repertory screenings, filmmaker series, premieres, and special events.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Cinerama Dome\u00a0opened in 1963<\/a> with its famous 86-foot-wide, panoramic screen that\u2019s designed to immerse audiences in the viewing experience. Until its closure, it was one of the city\u2019s highest-grossing multiplexes and a favorite stop for splashy premieres and events like a special preview screening of Quentin Tarantino\u2019s \u201cOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood.\u201d Decurion Corporation\u2019s Robertson Property Group maintains ownership of the real estate, and Sony will run the theaters under a lease agreement.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThere is no moviegoing destination anywhere in the world that commands the affection, history, and cultural significance of the Cinerama Dome. It represents the kind of singular experience we value and champion,\u201d\u00a0said Ravi Ahuja, Chairman\u00a0and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment.\u00a0\u201cThis is a meaningful moment for our company, our industry, and Los Angeles.\u00a0We look forward to honoring and extending the Dome\u2019s extraordinary legacy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tAlamo Drafthouse, founded in 1997, currently operates a 10-screen cinema in downtown Los Angeles as well as 39 other locations across the country. The chain, known for its no-talking, no-texting policy, recently introduced a new mobile ordering service<\/a> to replace the traditional mode of pen-and-paper at the hands of servers, which has garnered criticism from some movie theater purists. Before the circuit was acquired by Sony, Alamo Drafthouse had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021 as global theater chains were struggling to survive the prolonged COVID-related closures.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cFor 30 years we have championed the kind of theatrical experience that turns a screening into an event, and created spaces where people come together to celebrate cinema,\u201d said Michael Kustermann, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse and Head of Sony Pictures Experiences. \u201cAs our new West Coast flagship, we will offer extraordinary programming and events, while returning to Los Angeles one of its most beloved and culturally significant moviegoing destinations.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Viva la Cinerama Dome! Sony is officially reviving one of Hollywood\u2019s most beloved and iconic movie theaters, which…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":778270,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[331644,88],"class_list":["post-778269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-cinerama-dome","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=778269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778269\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/778270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=778269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=778269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=778269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}