When every movie theater in Los Angeles went dark in 2020, we weren’t sure which ones would be able to survive the lengthy shutdown (R.I.P. ArcLight). But around that same time, the temporary shuttering of one of Hollywood’s most historic theaters came with a silver lining: Netflix announced that it had bought the Egyptian Theatre and was embarking on a multi-year renovation.
Now, on the 101st anniversary of the venue’s opening, Netflix and the American Cinematheque announced that the Egyptian Theatre will reopen on November 9 after a three-year restoration projection.
Though Netflix now owns the building, it’ll share programming duties with the American Cinematheque. L.A.’s beloved not-for-profit film organization revived the venue in the late ‘90s and has kept it stocked with double bills and top-talent conversations ever since—including going forward on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. (Netflix will use the space for premieres and special events on weekdays.)
So looking ahead, you’ll find both organizations’ fingerprints on the lineup: The theater will debut with a screening of David Fincher’s The Killer on November 9, including a Q&A from the director himself, as well as additional Netflix-distributed films like Bradley Cooper’s Maestro (Nov 22–Dec 7) and Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Dec 5). The American Cinematheque, meanwhile, will hold its annual celebration of large-format film prints, Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest (Nov 10–21), which has previously featured picks likes Lawrence of Arabia and 2001: A Space Odyssey. In addition, Netflix will release a documentary short about the theater, Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre, on November 9.
The backlot-quality facsimile of an Egyptian temple has long been one of the few bright spots on Hollywood Boulevard. Built by the same architect as the Chinese Theatre down the street, the 1922 venue’s catwalk-like courtyard was the site of the first ever Hollywood premiere, a screening of Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks. Though some structures in Hollywood predate it, the Egyptian is the oldest theater in the area that still screens films.
Its distinctive temple-like architecture, with its hieroglyphs-filled courtyard and a ceiling adorned with a scarab beetle sunburst organ, landed it on our list of the most beautiful cinemas in the world. Some of the auditorium’s alterations have been a mixed bag over the years, but Netflix’s latest renovation appears to have corrected a pretty major one: Ornate, hulking plaster pillars that flanked the stage ages ago gave way to more contemporary cladding, but Netflix has brought back the desert block walls and a streamlined homage to the pillars.
Now, time to just patiently wait for the Vista to finish up its own renovation down the street.