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Alamo Drafthouse Announces Plans To Open 5 New Theaters In The Next Year



Theaters are coming back and Alamo Drafthouse is primed to meet the demand. As the country moves forward following the unprecedented 2020 pandemic and moviegoers are returning to theaters, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is excited to announce its continued emergence and growth with the announcement of five new theaters opening this year and next. This also marks the end of the company’s Chapter 11 filing with the completion of the sale to Altamont Capital Partners, funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group LLC and Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League. This announcement comes on the heels of Alamo Drafthouse’s biggest box office weekend since the pandemic began, including a stellar return of the Los Angeles theater that saw sold out shows for all films and all showtimes for the entire holiday weekend from Friday to Monday.

“We’re so thrilled to be reopening theaters across the country and welcoming back audiences for an unparalleled moviegoing experience with films we’ve been eagerly awaiting for over a year now,” says Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor. “We’re so grateful to our incredible partners at Altamont and Fortress, who are completely aligned with our vision for Alamo Drafthouse’s growth. It’s incredibly exciting to be back on that path so we can bring the Alamo Drafthouse experience to new locations around the country, including our very first locations in Manhattan, St. Louis, and D.C.”

Manhattan

The company’s highly anticipated first Manhattan location, Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan, is a 14-screen theater in the Financial District at 28 Liberty, and is expected to open in the Fall 2021. Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan will be the home of The Press Room, a brand-new museum, letterpress print shop, bar, and event space. Like the century-old wax figure exhibits delicately displayed throughout Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn’s House of Wax, The Press Room will display selections from a vast archive of over 50,000 letterpress film advertising plates spanning the 1930s through the 1980s. The collection will also come to life every weekend as The Press Room’s 1938 Vandercook letterpress will be inked and fired up to produce souvenir postcards and prints drawn from the collection.

“The Press Room will feature an astounding collection that will serve as a museum of film and advertising history,” says Founder and Executive Chairman Tim League And with 14 screens, we will be able to support the important New York openings of a vast array of films. We’re so excited and can’t wait for New York movie lovers to see what we have in store for them at our Lower Manhattan theater. ”

Additionally, the previously announced Staten Island theater is still in development with the Flying Guillotine, a martial arts-inspired bar in partnership with Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA.

Greater Washington, D.C. Area

Alamo Drafthouse is also excited to officially announce two new locations from franchise partners Cojeaux Cinemas, LLC. Alamo Drafthouse D.C., the company’s first theater to be located in D.C. proper, is a 9-screen theater located at Bryant Street in northeast Washington, D.C. and is expected to open Winter 2021, and Alamo Drafthouse National Landing, a 9-screen theater located in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, is expected to open Spring 2022. Cojeaux Cinemas, LLC also operates three other Alamo Drafthouse franchises in Virginia.


St. Louis

Alamo Drafthouse is also headed to the Gateway City with Alamo Drafthouse’s first theater in St. Louis. Located at the upcoming City Foundry STL development in St. Louis' Midtown district, Alamo Drafthouse St. Louis is a 10-screen theater from franchise partner St. Louis Alamo Movies, LLC and is expected to open in Spring 2022.


Like in all the company’s nearly 40 locations, Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan, D.C., National Landing, and St. Louis will feature a diverse mix of blockbusters, indies, documentaries, foreign language films, repertory classics, and unique special events. All four theaters will feature 4K Barco laser projection, immersive surround sound, and luxury recliners in all auditoriums. Continuing the company’s commitment to preserving 35mm, Lower Manhattan and St. Louis will feature 35mm changeover projection, so that both classic films and new releases can be experienced in glorious celluloid. St. Louis, D.C. and National Landing will each feature “The Big Show”, Alamo Drafthouse’s next-generation Premium Large Format theater optimized for the enormous 66’ wide x 28’ tall curved screen and transformative Dolby Atmos audio technology for a truly immersive experience. Each of the new locations will also include separate full-service bars featuring craft cocktails, wine, and local craft beers on tap.

Refining the Alamo Drafthouse experience

Operating during the COVID era has been an immense challenge for all movie theaters – struggles that will continue even once the industry and the world has returned to a sense of ‘normalcy.’

After reopening last August, Alamo Drafthouse reinvented its entire operating model to create the safest possible indoor gathering place – safer even than supermarkets, bars, and restaurants. The endeavor required dramatically enhanced safety protocols, HVAC upgrades, and state-of-the-art technology upgrades. Many of Alamo Drafthouse’s COVID-era innovations, including pre-ordering food and beverages and Your Own Private Alamo personal theater bookings, will remain part of the company’s model going forward.

Your Own Private Alamo

For developments on Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan, D.C., and National City, visit drafthouse.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for email updates via the Alamo Victory loyalty program at drafthouse.com/victory.

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