The Cinerama Dome, closed since the COVID pandemic shuttered ArcLight Cinemas in 2021, may finally have a path to reopening. Sony is in talks with Robertson Properties Group about a potential lease, according to The Wrap, with Sony's Alamo Drafthouse chain likely involved in operating the venue if a deal is reached.
The Cinerama Dome opened in 1963 and was among the highest-grossing theaters in Los Angeles before it closed. It is still owned by Chris Forman, CEO of the Decurion Corporation and grandson of Pacific Theaters founder William R. Forman, who originally opened the Dome. Other ArcLight locations have since been taken over by new operators, including a Sherman Oaks location now run by Regal with an Imax auditorium, and a Culver City location now operated by Amazon. The Dome itself has remained empty.
Sony acquired Alamo Drafthouse in 2024 and placed it inside a new division called Sony Pictures Experiences, led by Alamo CEO Michael Kustermann. The chain has drawn some criticism for switching to a mobile ordering system despite its longstanding no-phones policy, but it remained competitive during the opening weekend of The Odyssey, ranking as the sixth highest-grossing theater chain for that film and the only chain in the top 10 without an Imax screen, instead showing the film in 35mm and 70mm.
Any reopening of the Cinerama Dome would come at significant cost. Insiders told The Wrap that a renovation would require new seats, concessions equipment, sound and picture upgrades, new fire alarms, and accessibility lifts to meet building codes. If the new operators chose to, they could also make changes to the Dome's interior to make it more suitable for 70mm screenings.
Other theater chains, including AMC and Regal, have previously approached Decurion about leasing the property, but those conversations never advanced. Decurion has been notably tight-lipped about any plans for the site.
The closure has not gone unnoticed. Film student Ben Steinberg launched a grassroots campaign called Save the Cinerama Dome that has drawn more than 12,000 followers on social media. In April, Steinberg projected the face of Decurion CEO Chris Forman onto the dome itself during a protest, until police ordered the projection turned off. Steinberg has said he plans further action.
Sony has declined to comment on the lease talks.
