Mayor Karen Bass toured the Cinerama Dome Friday alongside department heads and leadership from Sony Pictures to start conversations and further work to accelerate the timeline for reopening the venue.
Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed plans in late July to restore and reopen the iconic but long-shuttered Cinerama Dome and the adjacent former ArcLight Cinemas theater complex in Hollywood. The renovation and reopening project will be done in coordination with Sony-owned Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which will operate the complex.
“We can’t wait to welcome the next generation of filmgoers to enjoy the magic of the iconic Cinerama Dome,” Bass said in a statement Friday afternoon. “I brought city departments, developers and industry leaders together today to show our commitment to getting this historic restoration over the finish line. I want to thank our partners at Sony Pictures and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for sharing our vision for Los Angeles as the number-one place in the world for the entertainment industry to invest, create and thrive.”
City officials told City News Service that the event was meant to have members of the Department of Water and Power, City Planning, Building and Safety, and the Board of Public Works to engage with Sony officials and discuss plans for the complex.
Additionally, some permits have already been filed, with more expected to be approved for the reopening, according to city officials. Renovations began this month and are expected to continue through early 2028.
In a statement, Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, who represents the Hollywood area, thanked everyone involved in bringing the beloved institution back.
“Some of my earliest memories of Hollywood are going to movies at the iconic Cinerama Dome,” Soto-Martinez said in his statement. “…Its reopening will mean so much to our neighbors, our entertainment industry and the future of Los Angeles.”
Last month, Sony officials said the “Cinerama” name and iconic exterior sign will remain intact. The project will “honor the landmark’s distinctive aesthetic character, immersive large-format curved-screen presentation and traditional concession experience that have made it a beloved destination for generations.”
The historic theater complex at 6360 Sunset Blvd. has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the collapse of Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Cinemas in 2021.
The Cinerama Dome and adjoining ArcLight Hollywood complex were scheduled to reopen in May 2021 for the releases of “A Quiet Place Part II” and “Cruella,” but those plans were abandoned after Pacific Theatres and ArcLight parent company Decurion Corp. entered Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Since then, several former ArcLight locations have reopened under new operators including Regal Cinemas, Amazon MGM Studios and AMC Theatres, while the Hollywood complex has remained vacant.
Built in 1963, the Cinerama Dome is one of Hollywood’s best-known movie theaters and is the world’s only concrete geodesic dome. It features an 86-foot-wide curved screen that Sony officials say was “engineered to immerse audiences in an extraordinary panoramic viewing experience.”
Before closing, the adjacent Arclight Hollywood multiplex was among the nation’s highest-grossing theaters and was a frequent venue for premieres, awards-season releases and special screenings.
Sony officials said the renovated ArcLight complex will feature “dine-in services, curated programming, repertory screenings, events, designated karaoke rooms and fan celebrations. The complex will retain 35mm capabilities to showcase archival film prints and house several premium format screens with immersive audio and 4K laser projection, including 70mm capabilities.”
Sony acquired the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain in 2024 after its unsuccessful bid to purchase Paramount Pictures.
“For 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,” Michael Kustermann, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse and head of Sony Pictures Experiences, said in a July statement. “As 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 movie-going destinations.”
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