Alamo Drafthouse Will Open Five New Theaters In The Next Year

The saga of the Alamo Drafthouse continues. The movie theater chain has received a lot of unwanted attention recently, with both hostile workplace allegations being levied against the company and then an announcement in March that revealed Drafthouse had filed for bankruptcy. But now, things seem to be improving as the Drafthouse has revealed they'll be opening five new theaters in the coming year.

Just a little under three months since announcing they had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of an asset purchase agreement with Altamont Capital Partners, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has revealed it is opening five new locations. This announcement effectively marks the end of the Chapter 11 filing and comes on the heels of what Drafthouse says was its biggest box office weekend since the pandemic began.

The new theaters are headed to Manhattan, the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, and St. Louis (and I sure would love it if they went ahead and opened one in Philadelphia, where I live, because I, too, would like to have nice things). "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," said 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."

Here's some info on the new theaters:

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.

The Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan, D.C., National Landing, and St. Louis locations 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."

Plus, St. Louis, D.C. and National Landing will each feature "The Big Show," described as 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."