Hollywood’s storied Cinerama Dome will soon be open for business again.
After being closed for six years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the historic Hollywood Cinerama Dome is getting a new life thanks to Sony Pictures Entertainment. Sony will partner with Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, its theater chain, to restore and reopen the landmark, as announced Wednesday.
Ravi Ahuja, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, stated that the Cinerama Dome is unlike any other movie theater globally due to its unique history, cultural importance, and the strong connection people have with it.
This is an important milestone for us as a company, for the entertainment industry, and for the city of Los Angeles. We’re excited to celebrate and continue the incredible history of the Forum.
Work to update the Dome is scheduled to begin next month and wrap up in early 2028. According to Sony, the renovations are designed to celebrate the building’s history and unique cinema experience, while keeping its famous red and blue sign. The project will also maintain the theater’s large, curved screen for a fully immersive viewing experience.
Hollywood Inc.
Alamo Drafthouse, a popular dine-in movie theater, is starting a program to help independent films that premiere at festivals find an audience, even if they haven’t been picked up by a distributor.
Sony intends to reopen the nearby 14-screen movie theater that used to be an ArcLight Cinemas. It will offer both dine-in options and a carefully selected lineup of films. The theater will feature high-quality viewing experiences with formats like traditional 35mm film, large-format 70mm film, and advanced 4K laser projection.
The Dome and the new theater will host a variety of showings, including regularly changing films, series featuring different filmmakers, new movie premieres, and unique events.
The Alamo Drafthouse Dome location will be different from others – it won’t offer full meal service at your seat. Instead, it will stick with classic concession stand ordering. This change comes after some customers complained about the recent move to order food through phones during movies at other Alamo locations.
This agreement follows Sony Entertainment’s earlier acquisition of Alamo Drafthouse, a movie theater company based in Austin, Texas, this year. Sony also recently put $100 million into Cosm, an immersive cinema experience with theaters in Inglewood, Dallas and Atlanta.
Opened in 1963 on Sunset Boulevard, the Cinerama Dome quickly became famous for its massive, curved screen – a remarkable 86 feet wide. This innovative technology gave moviegoers an immersive, panoramic viewing experience and helped define how films were presented. Before Sony bought it, the theater was owned by the family of William R. Forman, who founded Pacific Theatres.
The news arrives as movie theaters are seeing a comeback this summer. People are returning to see films like “Toy Story 5,” “Backrooms,” and “Obsession.” There’s also renewed interest in how movies are shown, including popular formats like the 70mm version of Christopher Nolan’s new film, “The Odyssey.”
2026-07-22 20:31