L.A. Movie Theaters Ready for a Big Comeback This Year With the Egyptian, Vista and Vidiots

variety.com:

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor One year after Los Angeles’ beloved Landmark closed, the city’s exhibition scene is looking a little brighter – or at least, it will be when a few long-awaited venues open or reopen in 2023, including the Vista, the Egyptian and the new Vidiots outpost at the Eagle Theatre.

Between grappling with the stratospherically priced L.A. commercial real estate and persuading adults to return to movie theaters, the local exhibition scene has weathered numerous challenges since COVID forced businesses to shutter operations. “It’s better than last year for sure, because COVID is officially over May 11,” says Sony Pictures Classics co-president Tom Bernard, referencing the end of the federal public health emergency declaration. “So that is a great piece of information for people — they will probably go out more when they feel the official end to the pandemic.” Local cinephiles got a dose of optimism with Monday’s announcement that the long-awaited Vidiots non-profit would open June 1 in Eagle Rock, with a remodeled 271-seat auditorium, beer and wine bar and video store in the historic Eagle Theatre.

In Los Feliz, Quentin Tarantino’s Vista has a fresh golden paint job and the remodel is getting to the finish line. Reopening is “certainly going to be this year,” says Lance Alspaugh, who stayed on to oversee the renovation after selling the 100-year-old theater to the filmmaker.

Alspaugh promises that all the original artifacts have been kept, and says to expect “nice comfy new seating, new draperies, new everything,” in the theater that seats around 380 and includes a café with outdoor seating.