After years of dormancy, Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome is officially getting a new owner.
Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced plans to restore and reopen the iconic Los Angeles theater, with the Sony-owned Alamo Drafthouse Cinema set to operate the location. Renovations will start next month, with a reopening planned for early 2028.
“The restoration 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,” read today’s announcement from Sony. The Cinerama Dome will not offer Alamo Drafthouse’s signature dine-in experience.
As part of the deal, Sony will also take over operations of the former ArcLight Theater Hollywood location that sits next door to the Cinerama Dome. The 14-screen theater, which has 35mm and 70mm projection capabilities, will be operated by Alamo Drafthouse, which Sony purchased in 2024.
The Cinerama Dome, which is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, closed at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Its owner, Pacific Theatres (founder William R. Forman built the Dome in 1963), filed for bankruptcy in 2021 and announced that both the Pacific Theater chain and its sister company, ArcLight, would be shuttering all locations. The Cinerama Dome’s hopeful reopening has been a constant source of intrigue and interest for the city’s avid moviegoing audience, which has signed petitions and staged demonstrations in the hopes of bringing the monument back to life.
“Hot damn! We’re 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,” said Sony’s Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO Tom Rothman. “The Dome has hosted generations of unforgettable movie moments. Our goal is to preserve its legendary history while ensuring it remains vibrant now and far into the future.”
Added Michael Kustermann, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse and head of Sony Pictures Experiences, “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 moviegoing destinations.”
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