While most exhibitors have fought hard to reestablish their businesses after the disruption of COVID-era shutdowns, some cherished theatres remain closed to this day. None is more visible than the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles.
This iconic theatre first opened in 1963, and since then has been a staple of the Los Angeles moviegoing scene, quite infamously depicted in Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD.
However, the Cinerama Dome and adjacent Arclight Hollywood multiplex have been closed since 2020, despite a groundswell of local movie lovers expressing their desire to see it reopen.
The Hollywood Reporter investigated why it has remained closed for the past five years and found that the landlord Robertson Properties has been unwilling to sell the property or offer long-term leases to interested parties. Any new operator would most likely ask for a long-term lease in order to justify making the capital investments necessary to bring the 1960s-era building up to modern standards.
Some speculate that Robertson is seeking to keep its options open for selling the building to a developer who could decide to convert it to other uses than a cinema. This stalemate has created an uncertain future for the Cinerama.
