The Massive Image
The Egyptian Theatre, an iconic Hollywood landmark, has been restored and reopened by Netflix, showcasing the corporate’s efforts to interrupt into the Hollywood group. With a protracted historical past and vital cultural significance, the theater serves as a logo of Hollywood’s previous and future, and Netflix goals to make their mark on the trade by this enterprise. The restoration venture value Netflix roughly $70 million, and the theater will host premieres of Netflix movies whereas additionally persevering with to display screen movies by the American Cinematheque on weekends.
Efforts for historic preservation gained one other win from a seemingly unlikely place when Netflix bought the enduring Egyptian Theatre at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. After the previous few years of intensive restoration and development, the theater will lastly reopened final week with the premiere of the brand new Netflix movie The Killer, directed by David Fincher.
Nonetheless, the deal is much more of a win for Netflix, as the corporate and its content material continues to make extra of an effort to interrupt into the Hollywood group. The streaming service has additionally launched a documentary, titled Temple of Movie: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre detailing the lengthy historical past and up to date restoration of the theater. By way of displaying respect for Hollywood and its elaborate previous, the corporate hopes to make their very own mark on the ever altering trade. One thing as impactful and symbolic to Hollywood because the Egyptian Theatre shouldn’t be forgotten, and this week would be the begin of its resurgence in some ways. Between being host to Hollywood’s very first premiere occasion to its comeback within the Nineties, the Egyptian Theatre is part of the outdated, and now the brand new, Hollywood trade.
Picture by way of Netflix Temple of Movie: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre
Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson and different movie luminaries look again at LA’s historic Egyptian Theatre because it returns to its former film palace glory.
Launch Date November 9, 2023
Solid Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson
Most important Style Documentary
Studio Netflix
The Creator of the Egyptian Theatre Additionally Constructed One other Properly-Identified Theater
Again in 1922, the venue, situated on Hollywood Boulevard, was opened after being constructed by showman Sid Grauman. The theatre is designed to signify the flowery and over-the-top productions of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and its structure ultimately impressed a slew of Egyptian revival film theaters within the years that adopted. The ornate house is embellished with recognizable features of Historic Egypt, similar to tall columns, hieroglyphics, and Egyptian artwork.
The primary movie proven on the theater was Allan Dwan’s Robin Hood. This was Hollywood’s first crimson carpet premiere of a movement image within the trade’s historical past. It was an evening of basic, Golden Age Hollywood, with the $1 million movie (the most costly movie of the Nineteen Twenties) being produced and distributed by trade big-names like Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and Mary Pickford.
Scorching off of the success of the Egyptian Theatre, Graumann continued to be impressed by the structure of different international locations and constructed the Hollywood landmark, the Chinese language Theatre. Additionally situated on Hollywood Boulevard, its official opening was kicked off with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille’s The King of Kings in 1927. Ultimately, the Chinese language Theatre turned the extra fashionable of the 2 theaters, evident by its overwhelming stardom within the current day. Between its dazzling exterior and the handprints and signatures of well-known Hollywood figures, its predecessor couldn’t compete. Whereas the Chinese language Theatre thrived, and has since been made into an IMAX theater, the Egyptian Theatre in the end closed within the early Nineties and fell into damage. On prime of that, extreme injury was dropped at the theater from a high-magnitude earthquake in 1994, main it to even additional disrepair.
The Egyptian Theatre’s Restoration Undertaking Value Netflix $70 Million
The Egyptian Theatre was solely closed for a number of years when nonprofit group American Cinematheque bought the property. The outdated theater was purchased by the group for under $1. With the sources that they had, American Cinematheque tried to revive the venue to its authentic state.
Screening movies for the reason that Eighties, American Cinematheque connects moviegoing with group constructing and had discovered its new residence in 1998 on the newly restored Egyptian Theatre. Whereas among the ornamental parts remained the identical, its general performance was made to be extra trendy. The newer mannequin turned its one screening room into two, with the second being named after well-known director Steven Spielberg.
By the point Netflix was making its first inquiry in 2019, crucial points concerning the outdated construction, which have been too costly to deal with within the Nineties, have been changing into extra obvious. The streaming big’s intentions included restoring the outdated theater to its true authentic state, which meant ridding the venue of the newer parts that have been inauthentic to the time interval through which it was constructed. Netflix additionally acknowledged that they hoped to play their very own movies and reveals on the enduring large display screen. This could imply premiere occasions hosted by Netflix, centered round screening their new content material.
After over a yr of deliberating, Netflix and American Cinematheque reached a deal that started final week. Whereas Netflix will likely be enjoying their authentic content material and internet hosting occasions Monday by Thursday every week, the Egyptian Theatre remains to be residence to the American Cinematheque, as they may display screen movies on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Whereas ushering the enduring landmark into a brand new period of Hollywood is undoubtedly historic, this isn’t the primary time Netflix has taken an growing older theater beneath its wing. The leisure firm gave the Paris Theater comparable remedy, getting into a lease with the display screen film home earlier than it needed to shut its doorways for good.
It’s not troublesome to think about the price of Netflix’s leap in the direction of being a everlasting a part of Hollywood relating to receiving awards and accolades for his or her content material, particularly with the restoration alone costing the corporate roughly $70 million. There’s additionally the timing of the current writers’ and actors’ strike coming to an finish after 6 months of staff requesting honest pay within the age of streaming. Even additional, the deal wouldn’t really feel sufficient with out a new, Netflix-centric reward store promoting merchandise of content material unique to their authentic streaming content material. However, a chance for expertise and moviegoers alike at one of the vital vital locations in Hollywood historical past, particularly within the midst of a constantly-evolving trade, is nearly as Golden Age-glamour because it will get.
Temple of Movie: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre is streaming on Netflix within the U.S.
Watch on Netflix