Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 16

Sony Pictures to Reopen 956-Seat Cinerama Dome in 2028 as Box Office Tops $4 Billion

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 16

Sony Pictures to Reopen 956-Seat Cinerama Dome in 2028 as Box Office Tops $4 Billion

Q: What hidden premium features are secretly being planned for the sprawling complex next to the iconic Dome?

The “hidden premium” plan is not for the Dome itself, but for the adjacent former ArcLight Hollywood complex: Sony and Alamo Drafthouse are preparing a more fully loaded flagship multiplex with dine-in service, premium-format auditoriums, and event spaces. Reporting and company statements indicate the 14-screen complex next to the Cinerama Dome is expected to reopen as an Alamo Drafthouse with several upscale features. Those include 35mm and 70mm projection, immersive audio, and 4K laser presentation, with archival film capability preserved for specialty and repertory screenings. The site is also being positioned for premieres, filmmaker series, fan events and other curated programming. Additional plans described in coverage include karaoke rooms and spaces for fan celebrations, suggesting Sony wants the adjoining multiplex to function as a broader entertainment hub rather than a standard theater block. Unlike the Dome, which will keep traditional concessions and its historic large-screen identity, the neighboring complex is expected to carry Alamo’s signature dine-in model. So the premium elements being planned “secretly” for the sprawling complex are essentially a next-generation Alamo flagship: luxury dine-in auditoriums, premium projection and sound formats, archival-film capability, and dedicated social-event spaces.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 16

Sony Pictures said the Cinerama Dome, shuttered since 2020, will reopen in 2028 under a new agreement with owner Decurion after years of uncertainty over the landmark theater’s future.
Alamo Drafthouse, which Sony bought in 2024, will run the 956-seat single-screen venue, preserving its historic name, curved screen and traditional concessions rather than dine-in service inside the Dome.
Activist pressure helped force movement: a petition drew tens of thousands of signatures, rallies followed, and a viral April projection protest came weeks before Sony announced the deal on July 22.
The reopening fits a broader Los Angeles theater revival, with the Westwood Village set to return in 2027, the Bruin expected back this autumn, and other historic cinemas also being rescued.
That optimism is backed by stronger moviegoing—summer box office reached $4 billion only the second time since 2020—but industry strains persist as LA shooting days fell 20% year over year and independent filmmakers still struggle for financing.