Like so many Angelenos, I had a very specific benchmark for post-COVID normalcy: seeing a film at the Arclight theater in Hollywood. The iconic home of the historic Cinerama Dome, the Arclight is a mecca for cinephiles the world over. It was truly a place for movie lovers, with excellent sound and screen quality and a commitment to a distraction-free experience.
It was a communal center for so many, where a trip to the movies would see you running into old friends, co-workers, and celebrities. The dome itself is a legendary Hollywood location, the site of countless film premieres since it opened in 1963, and was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1998. It’s also been featured in several films and TV series, most recently in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
So it was uniquely devastating when parent company Decurion announced that they would be closing their Arclight Cinemas and their Pacific Theaters. The company released a statement saying, “After shutting our doors more than a year ago, today we must share the difficult and sad news that Pacific will not be reopening its Arclight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres locations. This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward.”
Decurion is essentially handing over the leases of the theaters back to their landlords, and so far it’s unclear if anyone will pick them up or negotiate to revive the theaters. Many speculate that this could be part of a lengthy lease negotiation with the property owners. It’s especially disheartening as the announcement comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced statewide re-openings set for June 15. Hopefully, someone will take over, considering that the Hollywood Arclight is one of the highest-grossing movie theaters in the country.
Many fans of the Arclight took to social media to express their sadness, including some of our favorite actors, writers, and directors:
— Barry Jenkins (@BarryJenkins) April 13, 2021
Oh no. ArcLight Hollywood is my favorite place to see movies. https://t.co/krBTcbDNEG
— John August (@johnaugust) April 13, 2021
Devastating. Too many losses to process. It’s just too much… At some point when I’m less upset, I’ll tell you guys a funny story about my first time meeting Quentin Tarantino in the lobby of Hollywood Arclight. https://t.co/cFypJxEk4L
— Lulu Wang (@thumbelulu) April 13, 2021
🥺 Well this sucks. Every single person who worked at the Arclight loved movies, and you felt it. Sending love to every usher, manager and projectionist who rocked that blue shirt and made it such a special place.
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) April 13, 2021
We’ve all been on bad dates to the Arclight where you’re watching a Greta Gerwig movie & the guy doesn’t like it bc he knows Greta is more talented than him and also would never date him and you had the realization you can’t date this kind of guy anymore, so SAVE THE ARCLIGHT
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) April 13, 2021
I have so many great and proud memories of the Arclight and Pacific Theatres, (the Dome, Arclight Hollywood, The Americana and Grove too). But I don’t want to post my thoughts in the past tense as I don’t want to write an obituary. My first thought was, what can be done to help?
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 13, 2021
The Arclight Hollywood was my most favorite theatre in the world to see movies. My home court of cinema in LA. I saw my first movie in LA there when I moved here in 2009 and the last movie before the pandemic there. Truly a bummer. https://t.co/sziPORAGcA
— Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) April 13, 2021
This is so painful. The Arclight is my go-to. Clean, great sound, assigned stadium seating, great popcorn, usher movie introductions. A true movie-going experience. 🤬 https://t.co/EtkfA9sMCx
— Gina Prince-Bythewood (@GPBmadeit) April 13, 2021
I’m gutted. The ArcLight has been an amazing support to cinema in LA. I’ll miss talking to the employees about their favorite films, which they had listed on their name tags. The theaters have been an integral part of so many key moments in my life, I’ll miss them forever. 💔 https://t.co/2tV3yQ6Pl8
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 13, 2021
I’m so sad. I remember going to the Cinerama Dome to see Star Trek IV with my dad when I was little. So many memories since then. 😢https://t.co/ptQsiMgYoA
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) April 13, 2021
Brutal. The Arclight Hollywood is the only place that makes LA seem like a small town. You’d go to a movie and run into someone you dated three years ago, an awful boss you never wanted to see again, and Melanie Griffith. https://t.co/h0uLZx8TZf
— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) April 13, 2021
I have so many memories of the Arclight, but one that sticks out was spending my 2008 birthday at a sold-out screening of The Dark Knight. The theater was packed to the gills, with many people in costume. There was a buzz in the air, one that was often found on a big weekend opening for a blockbuster. I honestly hope the theater finds a second life and reopens. If not, it may very well be my own Joker origin story.
(via Deadline, featured image: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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