Last year was a tough one for those who frequent Chicago's movie theaters, as both the Navy Pier IMAX Theater and the ArcLight Cinemas in Lincoln Park closed their doors permanently. But 2022 is already looking better for local cinephiles, because theater chain Alamo Drafthouse—best known for its in-theater dining and "no talking, no texting" policy—is finally opening a location in Chicago.
Variety was the first to report Alamo Drafthouse's latest expansion, which comes on the heels of the Austin, Texas-based company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021 just before a group of investors stepped in to keep the movie theater afloat. In addition to a new Chicago theater, Alamo Drafthouse will also open new theaters in Staten Island, St. Louis and Arlington, Virginia throughout 2022.
According to Variety, Alamo Drafthouse's Chicago movie theater will be located in Wrigleyville, taking up residence in the Addison & Clark development across from Wrigley Field, which is already home to a Harley-Davidson store, Shake Shack, two 7-Eleven stores and a Lucky Strike bowling alley and arcade. The theater will boast six screens outfitted with recliner seats and and laser projection, and is currently scheduled to open by fall of 2022. It's unclear if any of the theaters in Chicago location will be able to screen 35mm films (an offering at many Alamo Drafthouse theaters) or feature the chain's "Big Show" experience, which projects movies on a massive curved 66-feet wide screen.
What differentiates the Alamo Drafthouse from a typical multiplex? When it launched in Austin, Texas in 1997, it was among the first movie theaters to offer a full menu of food and drinks that were delivered to customers seats, long before chains like AMC and Marcus adopted the practice. It's also a theater chain that prioritizes the viewing experience, with a strict "no talking, no texting" policy that's enforced at every screening. Alamo Drafthouse locations typically screen a mixture of the latest blockbusters, new arthouse films and classic movies—weekly series like "Weird Wednesday" and "Terror Tuesday" usually feature cult and indie films that are rarely shown in theaters.
When it arrives in Chicago, the Alamo Drafthouse will be competing with a number of local theaters that offer similar programming, including the nearby Music Box Theatre as well as neighborhood cinemas like the Logan Theatre and the Davis Theatre. While none of these local theaters offer the kind of in-theater dining and drinking options that the Alamo Drafthouse boasts, they offer a similarly diverse lineup of screenings and loyal audiences. There's certainly room for another movie theater in Chicago, but the Alamo Drafthouse location in Wrigleyville may struggle to win an audience for its more niche screenings.