Grassroots Cinerama Dome campaign on pause following incident at theater
Key Points:
- A grassroots campaign led by film student Ben Steinberg to reopen the closed Hollywood Cinerama Dome has been paused indefinitely following a police intervention during a protest on Friday night.
- Steinberg and associates projected images and messages onto the Dome urging its owners, Decurion Corp., to reopen the theater, but were told by police to stop due to harassment claims by the property owner.
- The Cinerama Dome, a historic Los Angeles movie theater closed since March 2020, has remained shuttered despite public outcry and petitions with over 31,000 signatures seeking its reopening or sale.
- Decurion Corp., which owns the Dome and previously operated it through Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Cinemas, has not responded publicly to the incident or the campaign, fueling frustration among local film fans.
- Steinberg views the campaign as symbolic of broader issues around corporate ownership of cultural landmarks and hopes to resume efforts to revive the theater, emphasizing its importance to the Los Angeles community.