One of Los Angeles’ most beloved movie landmarks is finally making its comeback.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has announced plans to restore and reopen the iconic Cinerama Dome alongside a new 14-screen Alamo Drafthouse Hollywood, which will take over the former ArcLight Hollywood complex. The highly anticipated project is being developed in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, with construction set to begin this August and both venues expected to welcome moviegoers in early 2028.
The announcement marks a major milestone for Los Angeles film lovers who have watched the historic theater sit dark since the ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres closed in 2020. Alamo Drafthouse confirmed that the Cinerama Dome will retain its legendary name and branding while being carefully restored for a new generation of audiences.
For Alamo Drafthouse, the Hollywood expansion follows the company’s first Southern California location, which opened in Downtown Los Angeles eight years ago. The theater chain said it has been searching for the right opportunity to expand in the region and believes the historic Hollywood property is the perfect fit.
The Cinerama Dome has long been one of Hollywood’s most recognizable landmarks. Opened in November 1963 with the world premiere of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the theater was designed to deliver an immersive cinematic experience with its massive curved screen, originally created for the groundbreaking Cinerama widescreen format.
Its architecture is equally legendary. Built from 316 precast concrete hexagons and pentagons, the Dome remains the world’s only standalone concrete geodesic dome movie theater. Although it was originally envisioned as the prototype for hundreds of similar theaters worldwide, it ultimately became a one-of-a-kind icon.
The theater has also earned pop culture fame over the decades, appearing in films such as Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood while serving as a destination for countless Hollywood premieres.
The return of the Cinerama Dome is expected to be one of the most significant theater restorations in Los Angeles in recent years, bringing new life to one of the city’s most treasured movie palaces while expanding Alamo Drafthouse’s presence in the heart of Hollywood.
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