In a glimmer of hope for L.A. film fans, the Cinerama Dome will return with new name
Los Angeles film enthusiasts, rejoice. The Sunset Boulevard staple formerly known as the Cinerama Dome continues to inch toward a reopening with a new name and new plans.
Variety first reported Thursday that the owners of the beloved screening venue, Decurion Corp., obtained a liquor license for two bars and a restaurant. The license application listed “Cinerama Hollywood” as the business.
In December 2021, sources told The Times that the dome-shaped theater and the adjacent former ArcLight Hollywood multiplex would reopen after shuttering at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The historic movie theater has been closed since the start of the pandemic.
Records from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control now show four licenses are active and were issued on June 3. Reopening plans will also include ArcLight Hollywood’s 14 screens, according to Variety.
Representatives for Decurion did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
In April 2021, the owner of Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Cinemas announced that it would not reopen its venues, including the Dome and ArcLight Hollywood, due to financial issues caused by the pandemic.
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“This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward,” Pacific Theatres said in a statement at the time.
The closures prompted strong reactions from Hollywood notables, including filmmakers Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”), Melina Matsoukas (“Queen & Slim”) and Adam McKay (“Don’t Look Up”).
“If I’m being honest, I think I’m in denial. I can’t imagine Hollywood without the ArcLight,” McKay told The Times last year. “I really can’t.”
Landmark could not come to terms with the landlord for the theater, a favorite with arthouse movie lovers.
Even with a refreshed moniker and new eateries in the works, it’s unclear when the Hollywood theaters will officially reopen. However, the latest news may be a glimmer of hope for the city’s cinema landscape, which just bid farewell to Landmark Theater’s flagship Westside location.
Landmark Theaters said in May that its Pico Boulevard location would shut down at the end of the month’s lease. The closure came after the company failed to reach terms with its landlord.
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