One of Hollywood’s most iconic movie theaters is getting a second act.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is taking over the restoration and reopening of the Cinerama Dome at 6360 Sunset Boulevard after a six-year closure, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Sony plans to begin renovations next month and reopen the 1963 landmark and the adjacent 14-screen theater complex, formerly operated as ArcLight Cinemas, by early 2028. The Culver City-based, Japanese-owned conglomerate secured a long-term lease for the property but declined to disclose the terms, the New York Times reported.
The company will operate both venues through Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Austin-based theater chain Sony acquired two years ago.
The Cinerama Dome will retain its name, distinctive red and blue exterior lettering and curved large-format screen. Unlike other Alamo Drafthouse locations, the Dome will keep a traditional concession model rather than in-seat dining. The neighboring theaters will offer dine-in service and programming ranging from repertory screenings and filmmaker series to premieres and special events.
Sony is expanding beyond film production and distribution into entertainment destinations as the film industry scatters beyond Hollywood and studios have lost value.
The company recently invested $100 million in Cosm, the immersive shared-reality theater chain with a venue at 1252 District Drive Inglewood, along with its Alamo Drafthouse acquisition.
The Cinerama Dome features an 86-foot-wide curved screen designed for a panoramic experience. The Dome, the only concrete geodesic dome on Earth, is made up of 316 hexagonal and pentagonal shapes each weighing 7,500 pounds.
The adjacent Arclight Cinemas multiplex opened in 2002 with 15 screens complete with stadium seating. The reopened theater will feature premium formats including 35mm, 70mm and 4K laser projection.
The Dome has long been owned by the family of Pacific Theatres founder William R. Forman. The Forman family-owned Decurion Corporation, along with its Robertson Property Group real estate subsidiary, fell into distress during the pandemic and entered Chapter 7 bankruptcy, subsequently closing or handing off control of other Arclight locations across the country, including theaters in Pasadena, Culver City, Sherman Oaks and Glendale.
— Chris Malone Méndez
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