One of the most lavish and legendary theaters from Hollywood’s Golden Age has undergone a restoration and is about to open its doors to film lovers once again.
An opulent throwback to a time before the pictures talked and when cinema was a ravishing new art form, LA’s Egyptian Theatre was also the site of Tinseltown’s first star-studded red carpet premiere. The date was Oct. 18, 1922, and the film was director Allan Dwan’s swashbuckling epic Robin Hood, starring Douglas Fairbanks (who, along with his movie star wife Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin were in attendance).
To mark the theater’s 101-year anniversary, Netflix and the American Cinematheque announced today that the theater would reopen on Nov. 9 with a screening of the eagerly awaited new thriller The Killer, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, David Fincher.
The grand reopening comes three years after Netflix and the American Cinematheque partnered to restore the iconic theater, famed for its Egyptian Revival architecture and open-air courtyard flanked by towering columns, colorful hieroglyphics, and sphinx statues. It is a one-of-a-kind venue that’s now finally ready for its close-up as a must-visit landmark for cinephiles from around the world who want a taste of how Hollywood used to be.
In celebration of the theater’s rebirth, Netflix will also release the documentary short film Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre on Nov. 9. Directed by Angus Wall, the short includes interviews with Guillermo Del Toro, Rian Johnson, Lynette Howell Taylor, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and the restoration’s architect Peyton Hall.
Tickets for the grand reopening are available via exclusive presale for newsletter subscribers starting at 9 a.m. PT on Oct. 25. Remaining tickets will be available here at noon PT later that day. Other upcoming titles to screen at the Egyptian include Bradley Cooper’s Maestro and Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (along with some of the director’s favorite one-reelers).
The Egyptian Theatre will remain the home of the American Cinematheque, who will continue to host a wide variety of features on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays — including the upcoming Ultra Cinematheque 70mm lineup from Nov. 10-21.
You can sign up for updates and access ticket sales information on the Egyptian Theatre here and follow the theater on Instagram, Threads, X, and Facebook. You can also sign up to join the American Cinematheque or learn more about their public screening ticket sales here.
