After years of decline, it feels like cinema is having a moment. Ticket sales at the box office are up year on year and Hollywood is on course to have its best summer since the pandemic. What’s more, an iconic L.A. theater is reopening.
The Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, has been shut since 2020 and has stood as a physical symbol of the movie industry’s deterioration.
But this week, Sony Pictures Entertainment — encouraged by rising sales at the box office — announced it is restoring the theater and opening it in early 2028.
“Hot damn! We’re bringing the Dome back, baby,” says Tom Rothman, the chairman of Sony’s Motion Picture Group. “We believe in moviegoing down to our soul, and no venue on Earth stands more for that than the one-of-a-kind Dome.”
The Dome, operated by Sony subsidiary Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, boasts an enormous 86-foot-wide curved screen, as well as an adjacent 14-theater complex. Since opening in 1963, the venue was one of the world’s premier venues for 70mm showings. The screen is noticeably curved and engineered to immerse audiences in an extraordinary panoramic viewing experience.
“There 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,” says Ravi Ahuja, Chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment, in a statement. “This is a meaningful moment for our company, our industry, and Los Angeles. We look forward to honoring and extending the Dome’s extraordinary legacy.”
No doubt its 70mm capabilities were a factor in the decision to reopen the Dome. After all, The Odyssey was filmed in IMAX 70mm and director Christopher Nolan has repeatedly said that it’s the best way to see the movie. However, there are very few theaters in the entire world capable of projecting 70mm film. If the IMAX film trend in cinema is to continue, the world needs more theaters capable of showing it.
Image creditsHeader photo by Codera23
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