Netflix and the American Cinematheque have announced the reopening of the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. After over three years of renovations, the iconic theatre will return to life just in time to showcase Netflix’s awards lineup.
The Egyptian Theatre, a landmark built during the silent era, has been dark since movie theatres across the country closed in March 2020. However, Netflix stepped in and purchased it in May 2020, committing to major restorations.
This deal was initially revealed back in 2019. Under the new arrangement, the Egyptian Theatre will continue to be the home of the American Cinematheque. The plan is for the organization to independently program movies from Friday to Sunday, while Netflix will use the venue for screenings, premieres, and special events from Monday to Thursday. In addition, select screenings of Netflix movies will be made available to the public.
The grand opening of the Egyptian Theatre will take place on November 9th with the release of the Netflix documentary short, Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre. Directed by Angus Wall, the film includes interviews with prominent filmmakers such as Guillermo Del Toro, Rian Johnson, Lynette Howell Taylor, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and Peyton Hall, the architect overseeing the restoration.
As part of the opening festivities, David Fincher’s The Killer will be screened, followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker. The theatre will then host the American Cinematheque Presents Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest from November 10th to 21st, showcasing 70mm films from the past and present.
Bradley Cooper’s Maestro will be screened from November 22nd to 27th, and Wes Anderson’s short film, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, will be shown on December 5th alongside other selected films by the director. Both of these films are part of Netflix’s lineup.
