After being shuttered for over six years, the iconic Cinerama Dome, a true Hollywood landmark, is slated to be restored and reopened.
This is huge and, with the horrible bureaucracy and disregard for landmarks in California, a near miracle.
We have literally never been more back!
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) July 22, 2026
Last night, we lit up the beloved Hollywood landmark, The Cinerama Dome, with a nod to Columbia Pictures first-ever premiere there: Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Today we welcome a new era for a cathedral of cinema unlike any other. pic.twitter.com/qQqBY7qVVs
Most every memorable movie boasts a thrilling plot twist or an outsized occurrence that prompts an audible ripple of gasps from audience members.
Such a made-for-the-movies moment arrived for the Cinerama Dome, that unmistakable, much-obsessed-over, long-shuttered Hollywood cinema, on July 22.
Prompting the excited ripple among fans of the truly domed theater, which shuttered in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, followed by a formal announcement of closure in the spring of 2021?
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Alamo Drafthouse are set to "restore and reopen" the landmark, a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument located on Sunset Boulevard near Vine. The Cinerama Dome isn't just a local treasure: It was "the world's first all-concrete geodesic dome," a true architectural wonder with midcentury flair to spare.
Actor and filmmaker Benjamin Steinberg ("Brooklyn Nine Nine" "Shining Vale") runs the Save Your Cinema campaign, which was instrumental in keeping at the forefront the neglect and total disregard for this landmark and the need to find a way to see it restored and reopened.
In a lengthy X post (linked below), Steinberg said, in part:
Getting it to reopen has been a six year odyssey for me. I’ve made many new friends along the way and I am grateful for many people supporting me. I started the petition to save the Cinerama Dome within minutes of finding out it was shutting down and it received over 30 thousand signatures. I was able to reveal the 2023 reopening plans and then break the sad news about it being officially cancelled. Many people told me to give up. Industry figures that I deeply admire told me it would be impossible to convince the family ownership to reoepen it or have it leased to another exhibitor considering their other abandoned cinemas and lack of communication to me. I was called delusional. People made fun of me. Instead, I held protests, spoke with city leaders, provided updates from public records, updated the media, continuously pressed the owners. I had conversations with filmmakers ranging from Wes Anderson to Quentin Tarantino about it. A few months ago I projected the images of the owners faces onto the Dome asking them to reopen and they called the police on me. That was actually a miracle in disguise. I received attention from all around the world and the Cinerama Dome became a topic of conversation again.
That was the shot in the arm. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Alamo Drafthouse, an American cinema chain, ponied up and partnered up to launch the process of restoring the Cinerama Dome.
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and wholly-owned subsidiary Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, today announced plans to reopen and restore the iconic Cinerama Dome, a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument located in the heart of Hollywood, following a 6-year shutdown that began during the COVID pandemic. The deal reinforces SPE’s long-held commitment to theatrical exhibition and expands its investment in distinctive entertainment experiences.
With the period of the COVID nightmare and the accessibility of streaming, an entire generation knows nothing about distinctive entertainment experiences. They have never experienced the anticipation of standing in line for a "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," an "Independence Day," or a "Top Gun Maverick." Big films, made for the Big screens, are nearly dead. Sony and Alamo Drafthouse want to revive them again. Preserving spaces like the Cinerama Dome and making them shine is part of the plan.
The Dome will undergo restorative renovations starting next month through early 2028 and be operated by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Its historic legacy and singular moviegoing experience will be honored and carefully preserved, with the iconic “Cinerama” name and exterior branding left intact. The restoration will honor the landmark’s distinctive aesthetic character, immersive large-format curved-screen presentation, and traditional concession experience that have made it a beloved destination for generations. While the Dome will not operate as a dine-in theater, its traditional programming will be complemented by Alamo Drafthouse’s signature programming including repertory screenings, filmmaker series, premieres, and special events.
Having lived in Los Angeles for over 30 years, it is a one-of-a-kind experience to see a film in 70 millimeter at the Cinerama Dome; so it is wonderful that these companies have come together to lock in that opportunity for a whole new generation of theatergoers.
Since 1963, the Dome has been celebrated as one of the world's premier venues for 70mm exhibition, hosting era-defining premieres and unforgettable cinematic events. Its approximately 86-foot-wide, deeply curved screen was engineered to immerse audiences in an extraordinary panoramic viewing experience. The theater helped pioneer a new era of large-format cinematic presentation and remains one of the most distinctive moviegoing environments ever created.
Before the doors were shuttered, the actual Dome was expanded to incorporate a 14-screen theater complex run by ArcLight Cinemas. ArcLight tried to do what Sony and Alamo Drafthouse seek to revitalize: curated film experiences. However, the company fell victim to the issues I noted above. Here's hoping Alamo Drafthouse has better fortune in managing the Dome, along with the other screens.
The theater will offer Alamo Drafthouse premium presentations and dine-in services, curated programming, repertory screenings, events, designated karaoke rooms, and fan celebrations. The complex will retain 35mm capabilities to showcase archival film prints and house several premium format screens with immersive audio and 4K laser projection, including 70mm capabilities.
For filmmakers, and film buffs like myself, this is very exciting news. The reopen date of 2028 is ample time to see if the fast-dying film industry can turn it around. The industry has become overrun with terrible ideas, poor management, and even worse politics. Former L.A. mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt continues to be an outspoken force, and has created a new video breaking down the issues at hand with California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) and CA Attorney General Rob Bonta's (D) efforts to squelch the deal between Paramount and Warner Bros. If Hair Gel and his consigliere succeed at this, and Paramount and Warner Bros. leave Los Angeles, you can kiss the film industry, and any hope of revitalized film production, goodbye.
The video is just under 11 minutes, with bits of salty language, but it is worth the view because Pratt cogently and hilariously explains what the people who work in Hollywood and greatly need it to be restored and reenergized are up against.
Read More: Biden-Appointed Judge Pauses Paramount-Warner Bros. Megamerger
Downer Ending? Iconic Hollywood Studio Considering Ditching Tinseltown for Friendlier Waters
Sony, Alamo Drafthouse, and Benjamin Steinberg will have their hands full. But one miracle has already been pulled off, so perhaps there is room for another.
WATCH:
Greasy Gavin and Bonehead Bonta are the real life slick-haired archetypal douchebag villains we've seen in every movie.
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) July 22, 2026
Now they're coming to destroy the Hollywood for good, over petty politics.
The Paramount sabotage is...way worse than you think. pic.twitter.com/vxop7tX8SO
Below is Benjamin Steinberg's full X story on the journey to see the Cinerama Dome revitalized.
I am pleased to share the news that Sony Pictures will be reopening and restoring the historic Cinerama Dome. I was briefed by them on their reopening plans and can’t reveal any details, but I was invited to join the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation so I look forward to… pic.twitter.com/FegtAyAbIc
— Save Your Cinema (@SaveYourCinema) July 22, 2026
I am pleased to share the news that Sony Pictures will be reopening and restoring the historic Cinerama Dome. I was briefed by them on their reopening plans and can’t reveal any details, but I was invited to join the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation so I look forward to working with them to ensure that the restoration honors and preserves the Dome and keeps it exactly as it was in 1963. The Sony people have been extremely generous with me and kind. Getting it to reopen has been a six year odyssey for me. I’ve made many new friends along the way and I am grateful for many people supporting me. I started the petition to save the Cinerama Dome within minutes of finding out it was shutting down and it received over 30 thousand signatures. I was able to reveal the 2023 reopening plans and then break the sad news about it being officially cancelled. Many people told me to give up. Industry figures that I deeply admire told me it would be impossible to convince the family ownership to reoepen it or have it leased to another exhibitor considering their other abandoned cinemas and lack of communication to me. I was called delusional. People made fun of me. Instead, I held protests, spoke with city leaders, provided updates from public records, updated the media, continuously pressed the owners. I had conversations with filmmakers ranging from Wes Anderson to Quentin Tarantino about it. A few months ago I projected the images of the owners faces onto the Dome asking them to reopen and they called the police on me. That was actually a miracle in disguise. I received attention from all around the world and the Cinerama Dome became a topic of conversation again. The general public wasn’t aware that the Dome was abandoned & neglected for 6 years. At the time I had thought nobody would care and it was widely accepted the Dome would be another demolition by neglect. That night was the first form of communication I’ve had with the owners in six years. A few weeks later their property representative responded to a comment about my incident saying “Ownership has taken notice to extreme public interest in reopening” and then I gave ownership a deadline of August 20th to reopen or pick a new operator or massive protests will resume at their HQ. Just a few months later I’m contacted by Sony about the reopening. Now I have Save Your Cinema with over 20K followers on social media and millions of views each day. With the help of my followers we have saved multiple cinemas and are actively working on more reopening soon TBA! I am so grateful for everyone supporting me. Here are just some of the people I’d like to thank! Sean Baker, Edgar Wright, Alma Har'el, Joshua Safran, Alison Martino, Gary Baum, Mark Olsen, Jazz Tangcay, Pat Saperstein, Tait Forman, Christopher Forman , vanfathernighy and every single follower and person who signed my petition and liked my posts. We all made this happen TOGETHER as a community effort. Thank you to EVERYONE! The BEST movie theater on Earth will be reopening 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member