Sony and Alamo Drafthouse Are in Talks to Bring Back the Cinerama Dome
Sony Pictures and Alamo Drafthouse are in early talks to reopen the Cinerama Dome and former ArcLight Hollywood — shuttered since 2020. Here's what we know and why this attempt might actually work.
The Cinerama Dome has been dark since 2020. Sony Pictures and Alamo Drafthouse may finally be the ones to turn the lights back on.
Multiple outlets confirmed yesterday that Sony Pictures is in early talks to lease and operate the legendary Cinerama Dome theater on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, along with the adjacent former ArcLight Hollywood multiplex — both of which have remained shuttered since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the collapse of Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Cinemas in 2021. Alamo Drafthouse, which Sony acquired in 2024 as part of its Sony Pictures Experiences division, would likely play a role in operating the complex.
Deadline first reported the talks. Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Wrap all confirmed and expanded on the story.
Why this matters
The Cinerama Dome isn't just a theater. It's a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument — the world's only concrete geodesic dome, built in 1963, designed for the era of widescreen Cinerama presentations. Before the pandemic, the adjacent ArcLight Hollywood multiplex was one of the highest-grossing theaters in the United States, a regular venue for premieres, awards-season releases, and special screenings. When both went dark in 2021, it created a gap in the Hollywood theatrical landscape that's been conspicuous ever since.
For context on how long this has been unresolved: AMC and Regal both reportedly approached the property's owners at various points and never moved forward. The reopening of the Dome has become a sustained source of frustration in the LA film community — the kind of story that generates regular trade press updates and reader comments every few months.
What Sony brings that others didn't
Sony's position is meaningfully different from any previous would-be operator. The company acquired Alamo Drafthouse in 2024 after its bid for Paramount Pictures fell through, housing it in a new division called Sony Pictures Experiences led by Alamo CEO Michael Kustermann. That gives Sony both the exhibition expertise (Alamo's programming-forward, hospitality-driven model) and the studio motivation (Sony releases films and needs premium exhibition venues in LA for premieres and awards season pushes) to actually commit to the significant refurbishment the property reportedly requires.
The Wrap reported that any reopening would require new seats, concessions equipment, sound and picture upgrades, new fire alarms, and accessibility lifts to meet current building codes. The Dome's interior may also need modification to make it more suitable for 70mm screenings — a detail that's particularly relevant given the recent success of "The Odyssey" in IMAX and the broader resurgence of large-format film exhibition. Sony, per reports, may be the company willing to foot that bill.
One notable constraint: Sony cannot use the ArcLight name, due to Chapter 7 proceedings. The multiplex would need a new operating identity.
The timing couldn't be better
The announcement comes in the same week that Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" — shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film — is posting strong numbers at the box office. The theatrical exhibition renaissance is real and accelerating: Netflix's renovation of the Egyptian Theatre, Quentin Tarantino's reopening of the Vista, the upgrade of the Alex Theatre to handle first-run releases. The Cinerama Dome and ArcLight Hollywood reopening would be the largest and most culturally significant addition to that list.
Talks are described as early. No lease agreement has been signed. No reopening date has been announced. This is a developing story.
