Alamo Founder Tim League Launches Private Movie Theater Experience in New York

If you heard that a caller 20-screen analyzable was astir to deed New York City, you’d expect that it would apt beryllium a cluster of ample rooms screening a Nicole Kidman commercialized dozens of times a day. But Tim League, nan man behind nan movie lovers’ favourite Alamo Drafthouse, has thing wholly different successful mind. Coming soon — exact day to beryllium wished — Metro Private Cinema will supply an acquisition that lives up to its name.

“It’s a nighttime out,” League told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview. “If you’re going to casually drawback ‘The Legend of Ochi,’ you’re astir apt going to spell to nan IFC Center, you’re going to spell to nan Alamo, to nan AMC. But if you want to person what we’re trying to create, a very typical acquisition pinch dinner, friends and a movie, I deliberation there’s an assemblage for it here.”

Upon nan opening successful Chelsea, moviegoers will beryllium capable to take a theatre ranging successful size from 4 to 20 seats — and we mean comfy, fancy chairs and sofas. Then they tin take nan movie and a gourmet menu. The movie, too, doesn’t request to beryllium a existent release. Patrons tin prime a favourite from a ample room of retro offerings, arsenic well. The meals will beryllium only nan finest — THR’s sum cited “stone fruits, heirloom tomatoes, and summertime squash” arsenic samples. League, too, said that they dream to connection “cinematic adventures,” arsenic well, pinch themed repast experiences for celebrated titles. Its website already lists eating menus for “Superman,” “Goodfellas,” and moreover nan autumn merchandise “Wicked: For Good.”

“Whenever we’ve done that type of point astatine Alamo, it’s been immoderate of my favourite moments and we’re conscionable trying to spell moreover further,” he explained.

It’s not a emblematic nighttime astatine nan theater. Instead, it’s a movie nighttime that personification other is successful complaint of cleaning up. That said, it is pricey. The nutrient is $100 per personification — not including alcohol. The rooms scope from $200 to $600 aliases moreover more, depending connected nan statement size.

League, who stepped down arsenic Alamo Drafthouse‘s leader successful 2020, has agelong advocated for creating unsocial experiences for film fans. In 2017, he penned an editorial for IndieWire expanding connected his position.

“Cinemas are successful nan business of offering an incredible, immersive acquisition that you simply cannot copy astatine home,” he wrote. “Our occupation is to put connected a show and supply a awesome worth proposition for getting retired of nan house, turning disconnected your telephone and enjoying awesome stories successful nan champion imaginable environment. At our best, cinemas should besides beryllium section organization centers pinch a real, tangible narration to their surrounding neighborhood.”

One difference, League said, pinch this caller concatenation is that group will now beryllium capable to matter and talk (an Alamo Drafthouse no-no), since they won’t beryllium successful a theatre pinch different strangers. “It’s conscionable you’re a worse personification if you do.”

Metro Private Cinema is anticipated to unfastened successful September 2025.