The Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures Delays Its Opening Again, This Time To September 2021

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has been in the works for many years, but tourists and cinephiles are going to have to wait a few more months for it to finally open in Los Angeles.

Today, the Academy announced that the museum, which was most recently slated to open in April 2021, will now open its doors in September 2021 due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Get the details below.

According to a press release, the facility – which will be "the world's premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies" and which recently installed the only surviving model of the shark from Jaws – is pushing its opening date back yet again. "With rising virus infection rates, museums remaining closed, and continued restrictions on public gatherings in Los Angeles, the museum has decided to push back its opening to protect the health and safety of its visitors and staff," the statement reads.

The Academy Museum will open to the public on September 30, 2021, after hosting several opening events, including a gala five days before the grand opening.

"We are putting the final touches on our stunning exhibitions and public spaces, and while we were ready and eager to welcome visitors in the spring, with the current surge of COVID-19, it would be irresponsible to maintain an April opening," said Bill Kramer, the museum's director and president. "We know a new day is coming for us all, and when it does, the Academy Museum will be ready to offer our visitors the remarkable experience we have all been wanting."

This project has been in development since 2005 (!), with the 2008 financial crisis and a location change throwing wrenches into the early plans. At one point, an announcement came that the museum would open in 2017...then that was pushed to 2019...then that was pushed to 2020...and now the pandemic has caused one more (possibly final?) delay. Here's how the organization describes what fans can expect when it finally opens:

The Saban Building will feature six floors, including exhibition spaces, the 288-seat Ted Mann Theater, the Shirley Temple Education Studio, the Debbie Reynolds Conservation Studio, special event spaces, a café, and store. The new spherical addition will connect to the Saban Building via glass bridges and will feature the state-of-the-art 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and the rooftop Dolby Family Terrace with its sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills.

The museum will open with an exhibit paying tribute to the films of Hayao Miyazaki, and you can see several images from that exhibit here.