Last week, we were able to share the happy news that Sony will be taking over the iconic Alamo Drafthouse cinemas in one of the first studio-theater partnerships we’ve seen in decades. Today there’s some more good news, and our Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney Los Angeles, Brandon Blake, is here to share it.
6 Locations Reopening
In addition to taking control of the main Alamo Drafthouse brand, Sony will also be reopening 6 previously franchise-owned locations. These 6 locations closed under the pressures of the COVID pandemic, as the franchise company was forced into bankruptcy.
This includes one location in Minnesota and 5 others serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which shut down in June this year. The locations should reopen this year in quick succession according to current plans.
A Positive Buy-Back
It appears that Sony is willing to invest quite heavily in its theatrical game plan with this latest acquisition, as they jumped on the location closures near immediately, buying back the locations and making overtures to those staff members who lost their employment at the venues.
As each location reopens, there will be “soft” openings in each first week, with select promotions and discounts to drive feet back through the door. Those who missed out on pre-sold tickets during their June shutdown will receive ticket vouchers, and previous concessionary deals (like Deadpool and Wolverine pint glasses) will still be honored.
Sony’s acquisition of the Alamo was something of a landmark for the industry and one of the first re-entries into studio ownership for the theatrical industry we’ve seen in over half a century. While their final plans for this shiny new acquisition are not yet clear, it is speculated that they could be intending to funnel some of Crunchyroll’s anime offerings to the theaters, or simply that they want a “testing platform” for future releases. Either way, it’s always good to see new life breathed into these iconic parts of the Hollywood landscape.
Film and Television 