Netflix reopens historic Hollywood cinema after renovation – 11/11/2023 – Tourism

If the Egyptians painted in a Los Angeles courtyard could talk, they would be the greatest guardians of the history of the birth of Hollywood. After all, they decorate the place where the world’s first cinematic red carpet took place, led by Douglas Fairbanks, star of “Robin Hood”.

The black-and-white film was Hollywood’s first premiere, in October 1922, orchestrated by entertainment mogul Sid Grauman to inaugurate his new venture, the Egyptian Theater movie theater.

One hundred and one years later, the cinema is still one of the most exuberant in Los Angeles, highlighted by the scarab and swan sculptures on the ceiling of the 516-seat theater.

And thanks to a US$70 million (R$340 million) renovation, which kept it closed for the last four years, the cinema also houses the best technologies, such as a state-of-the-art sound system and equipment to shoot any type of film. , including the highly flammable nitrate ones in 35 mm.

Like a good Hollywood plot drenched in irony, those who paid the bill for the restoration were the new owners of the space, Netflix, which revolutionized the online film viewing model, emptying even more street cinemas like the Egyptian itself.

His business style is also seen as the villain of the industry’s ills and a driver of this year’s actor and screenwriter strikes.

“It’s important to give back to the industry that has given us so much,” said Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, at a reopening event for the press, filled with sweets, alcohol, various styles of coffee and lots of popcorn.

“While Netflix is ​​relatively new to Hollywood history, we love that history and through this investment in Egyptian, we can reclaim a piece of history for future generations.”

Netflix purchased Egyptian in 2020 from American Cinematheque, a nonprofit that had been struggling financially. A year earlier, Netflix had saved a New York cinema, the Paris Room, with 500 seats, from closure, which reopened in August.

The cinematheque will continue to operate the Egyptian and take care of weekend programming, focused on classics and contemporary festivals. On other days, Netflix will show its titles.

Until November 21st, there will be an exhibition of 70 mm films, such as “Boogie Nights”, “Aliens” and “Nope”. Netflix premieres “Maestro”, by Bradley Cooper, and “Rebel Moon”, by Zack Snyder, in November and December.

EARTHQUAKE AND EGYPTIAN GUARDS

American Cinematheque acquired the Egyptian in 1998 from the city of Los Angeles after the cinema suffered serious damage in the 1994 earthquake.

The purchase was symbolic in exchange for a US$12 million renovation, which created a second cinema inside the Egyptian and a balcony with seating in the main room. Both were removed in the Netflix project to return to the original 1922 blueprint.

For those who went to the cinema before the new redesign, it is difficult to notice other changes. Historical consultant Peyton Hall, who worked on the current and 1998 projects, explained that much of the heavy renovation is invisible to the public.

The building received a new concrete and steel foundation and had its structure reinforced against earthquakes, in accordance with new Los Angeles laws. Recurrent water leaks since 1922 were repaired with a new waterproofing system and external plastering.

“These are extremely expensive things to do that the visitor doesn’t realize in the end. But it’s what makes the building much safer for the future,” said Hall, professor in the Heritage Conservation Program at USC (University of Southern California ) and responsible for the restoration of dozens of famous buildings in Los Angeles.

Hall says the Egyptian is his favorite movie theater and he remembers the first time he visited it in 1982. “I don’t remember what the movie was, but my brain registered the impact of the building very well.”

The Egyptian theme was part of the custom of transforming buildings into “exotic” locations as a form of advertising. Grauman also opened the Chinese Theater five years later, 400 meters from the Egyptian, on the same Hollywood Boulevard.

But whether the hieroglyphic mural near the entrance makes any sense, no one knows for sure. Michael Hernandez, who gives free tours of the cinema, says that he has had people in his groups who understood writing and could read some symbols.

“Grauman was rigorous in the details. He definitely hired people who understood the subject,” said Hernandez, adding that the businessman made his employees dress according to the theme.

The men dressed up as Egyptian guards, announcing the start of the session, while the women wore harem clothes, leading guests to their seats. “And all this to the sound of Egyptian music in the courtyard. Live, of course.”