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We thought that beloved dine-in cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse was going to permanently shutter and yet—rejoice!—the company just announced that they'll actually be opening five new locations around the country—including their first one ever in Manhattan.
In addition to the New York City destination—set to welcome film lovers beginning this fall—the chain will claim a stake on Staten Island near New Dorp Beach, in St. Louis and also open two new theaters in Washington D.C. In total, the United States will be home to over 40 Alamo Drafthouse cinemas.
The news shocked many people as, just this past March, the company filed for Chapter 11. Alas, Altamont Capital Partners was able to buy out the company and thus keep it afloat.
The Manhattan location, dubbed Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan, is set to take over the Financial District at 28 Liberty Street. The 14-screen theater will also be home to a new museum called the Press Room, a letterpress print shop, an event space and a bar.
"The Press Room will feature an astounding collection that will serve as a museum of film and advertising history," Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League said to Variety. "And with 14 screens, we will be able to support the important New York openings of a vasty 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."
This actually isn't the first time that conversations concerning a Manhattan location have been brought up. The Austin-based chain made a similar announcement, mentioning the same downtown address as the one made public this week, back in 2018. Although those plans fell through at the time, they seem to be more of a certainty now.
The new Staten Island location, on the other hand, will be developed alongside Flying Guillotine, a martial arts-inspired bar that Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA is involved with.
Following the pretty awful year that the movie industry has had to contend with, we're delighted to hear about the openings and can't wait to sit in a dark theater while munching on popcorn and enjoying a cocktail this fall. Join us, perhaps?