Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome Has a New Owner and Will Reopen

The famed movie theater closed this year

Cinerama Dome
General views of the Cinerama Dome at Arclight Cinemas Hollywood.
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Earlier this year brought distressing news for cinephiles in the Los Angeles area. The Cinerama Dome — one of the nation’s most recognizable and iconic movie theaters — was closed down by its owner, leaving its future in doubt. Would the famed theater — seen onscreen in everything from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to Frost/Nixon to Keanu — find new owners, or would moviegoers’ days of venturing there be at an end?

This was a question that affected movie buffs on all levels, including a number of prominent filmmakers. But with the pandemic and its effects upending plenty of elements of everyday life, it remained to be seen whether or not this would be a temporary setback or a larger cultural loss.

As 2021 draws to a close, there’s some encouraging news when it comes to the future of the Cinerama Dome. The Los Angeles Times reports that the theater has found an owner, and that screenings could resume there as soon as next year.

The first sign that something was happening on the site came via a notice pointing out that the theater’s new owners were seeking a permit to sell alcoholic beverages on the premises. Little is known about company that had filed for the permits, DT Operator LLC, though the Times article describes them as “a holding company for Decurion Corporation.” It’s encouraging news for film enthusiasts.

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