Downtown L.A.’s much-anticipated Alamo Drafthouse has been a bit of a tease. We first caught word of the beloved Austin dine-in movie theater chain’s plans to open in L.A. back in 2014, and we’ve been eagerly watching its future home at the Bloc ever since. “This must be the year,” we’d kept thinking, especially after a 2017 announcement pegged it for a 2018 opening—for real. Well, 2018 came and went with nothing more than a rooftop pop-up, but finally, seriously the Alamo Drafthouse has announced an opening date—or at least an opening window.
Construction on the DTLA location is nearly complete and, according to a press release, the Alamo Drafthouse is expected to “soft launch” in early July. It’ll debut with what the company’s calling a beta test of its expanded Alamo Season Pass subscription service, which—for an undisclosed price—allows members to watch a movie a day and reserve seats, with an option to purchase companion seats as well.
Famous for its beer selections and hardline no talking, no texting policy, the cinema will feature 12 auditoriums, each outfitted with a 4K laser projector (and one with a 35mm film projector). Expect a mix of wide-release blockbusters and smaller indie flicks alongside cinema classics and cult favorites. Outside of the auditoriums, you’ll find a full bar and kitchen, as well as Video Vortex, a bar and video store that’ll offer free Blu-Ray and DVD rentals.
For an area once lined with movie palaces, cinemas are surprisingly scant in Downtown L.A. Sure, there’s the Regal L.A. Live, the single-screen Downtown Independent and some one-off screenings along Broadway, but the Alamo Drafthouse will mark the first proper multiplex in DTLA’s most walkable district—and in a building where four Metro lines converge.