1000 W. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90015 | map |
The News: The 806 seat "Premiere Theatre" is being remodeled and will be re-branded as an Imax venue. Expect a reopening at the end of the year. The initial announcement in May 2025 noted that it would be both digital and Imax 70mm film capable. There's no updated news on that. The other houses have been getting rebuilt for recliners except for the ICE Immersive house #5 and the 4DX venue in #6.
Opened: October 27, 2009 with "This Is It," the Michael Jackson film, running on all screens. This 14 screen theatre at Olympic and Georgia St. is part of the L.A. Live complex controlled by Phillip Anschutz' AEG. He owned the Regal circuit at the time this was built but sold it in 2017 to the British firm Cineworld Group. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010
Phone: 213-763-6070, 213-763-6071 Website: www.regmovies.com/theaters
Architects: Gensler and Associates was the lead architect for the L.A. Live complex and also did the Regal's exterior. The interior was done by Blair Ballard Architects. Thanks to Joe Vogel for the research.
Seating: The original capacity was 3,772 in the 14 auditoria. The largest, the "Premiere Theatre," sat 806 and had a 70' wide screen. The other capacities were: #2 #8 and #11: 286, #3 and #9: 230, #4 and #10: 248, # 5: 287, #6 - 4DX: 100, #7: 219, #12: 167, #13: 175, #14: 97. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Greenthing for getting some of these numbers off Fandango in 2015. He notes that #1, #5, #6, #7, #10 and #12 were equipped to show 3D. #5 was later turned into an ICE/Immersive house with a capacity of 186.
Seating upgrades: In 2025 they started a rebuild of the big house, #1, into an Imax-branded venue and the capacity dropped in the other theatres when they began re-terracing them to install recliners. #5, the ICE Immersive venue and #6, the 4DX venue, won't get an upgrade this round. As of September 2025 theatres 2, 3, 4 plus the big house were closed.
In the auditoria where the recliner installations have been completed the capacities are #7: 101, #8: 122, #9: 106, #10: 106, #11: 121, #12: 81, #13: 75, #14: 41. Thanks to Nothing But Cinema for getting the numbers for an August 2025 Cinema Treasures post.
Film equipment. As of 2025 there was still a film projector installed in theatre #8.
History: See "A Hollywood opening for downtown cinema," an October 24, 2009 article by Richard Verrier in the L.A. Times. The Times
had a March 2014 article on Regal's plans to install a 4D auditorium in
partnership with CJ Group, a Korean company. In 2015 the complex got a liquor license.
In August 2022 Cineworld announced that they would most likely be filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for its Regal subsidiary in the U.S. and possibly taking similar action for the parent company in the U.K. There were stories from
Variety, the
Wall Street Journal and the
Hollywood Reporter about the chain's problems.
They filed in September. The L.A. Times had a September 7 story by Ryan Faughnder headed "
Regal Cinemas parent company seeks bankruptcy protection..." The goal of the restructuring is to reduce the Cineworld debt load ( $5 billion excluding lease obligations) and renegotiate theatre leases with landlords. Ryan gave a rundown of the Regal history:
"It’s not the first time Regal has found itself in trouble with creditors. Regal Cinemas was founded in 1989 in Knoxville, Tenn., and rode a wave of megaplex and multiplex construction in the 1990s. As the industry faced a glut of giant theaters after years of overdevelopment, Regal declared bankruptcy in 2001 amid a wave of consolidation in the exhibition business.
"Regal completed its Chapter 11 reorganization and emerged from bankruptcy in 2002 under the ownership of an investor group led by billionaire Philip Anschutz, a developer of L.A. Live with a state-of-the-art Regal multiplex. In 2017, Regal agreed to be sold to Cineworld. The deal valued Regal at $3.6 billion. Cineworld is not the first theater operator to seek bankruptcy protection since the pandemic, but it is the largest to do so."
As of mid-2025 Regal was operating 5,565 U.S. screens in over 400 theatres in forty-one states plus the District of Columbia and Guam.
In May 2025 it was announced that the big house would be rebuilt as an Imax venue that would be both film and digital capable. It had a 70' screen
-- they're saying it will be 80' after renovations. The Sherman Oaks
Galleria is another of the Regal houses to get the upgrade, but not for
film. Currently there are only 30 locations worldwide that show Imax
70mm film. In "Regal Adds Four Imax Theaters in U.S....," a May 19, 2025 article in The Hollywood Reporter by Etan Vlessing, they noted:
"The
second-largest movie theater chain in the U.S. has expanded its
partnership with the wide-screen exhibitor for new laser projection
screen locations in Los Angeles, Houston and Washington, D.C. Expanding
its longstanding partnership with Imax signals Regal is back spending on
upgrades to its domestic circuit after parent Regal Cineworld emerged
from its financial restructuring process.
"That includes
turbocharging the theatrical movie experience with premium experiences
like Imax and other investments. 'At Regal, we are committed to
providing the latest and most innovative technologies in our theatres
with the overall goal of delivering the best moviegoing experience for
our guests,' Eduardo Acuna, CEO of the Regal Cineworld Group, said in a
statement."
Thanks to Joel Pell for spotting the story for a post on the
Cinema Tour Facebook page. He also located the Stock Titan article "
Regal and Imax Expand Partnership...,"
in which it's asserted that the L.A. Live location, in addition to
having dual laser digital machines, will also be Imax 70mm film capable,
a point also noted in the THR story. From Stock Titan:
"New
Agreement Includes Bringing Imax 70mm Film to Iconic L.A. Live
Entertainment Complex. Regal Cinemas and Imax today announced an
expansion of
their longstanding partnership with an agreement for four new Imax® with
Laser locations in the United States’ biggest
metropolitan areas. Included in the agreement, Regal will open a new
Imax theatre at the iconic L.A. Live entertainment complex in Downtown
Los Angeles, with an Imax 70mm film projector and 80-foot screen that
will be among the largest in the city.
"The agreement will also
bring new Imax locations to three of Imax’s highest grossing
metropolitan areas in the country, including Regal Greenway Grand Palace
in Downtown Houston; Regal Virginia Gateway in the Gainesville suburb
of Washington, DC; and Regal Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles. Three of the
four new Imax locations are set to open this year, with the remaining
location opening in 2026."
Status: Open and running first-run films with occasional special events and revivals.
The main lobby:
Looking down from the top level of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A main floor view. Olympic Blvd. is out the doors to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
A view from the front doors in September 2025. Photo: Bill Counter
A look to the right from the front doors. The elevator is behind that kiosk, with the stairs and escalators beyond. To the right it's the inner lobby paralleling Olympic Blvd. leading to screens #2 through 7. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
A couple heading up the escalator. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
A closer look at the attraction board. At the time of the shot the big house plus 2,3, and 4 were closed for renovations. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Taking the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Mezzanine level. On the right it's the dedicated stairs serving theatre #1. No other theatres are at this level. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The stairs from #1 that head down behind the snackbar. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Looking southeast toward the mezzanine entrance for theatre #1. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Theatre #1's mezzanine entrance, closed for the Imax rebuild. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The mezzanine view west. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
On up to level 2 for theatres #8 through #14. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Looking east at the top of the stairs. The black box to the right near the windows is the barricaded entrance for theatre #1 at the top of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The bar on level 2. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
A look over the edge from level 2. Notice the Imax advertising on the screens. There used to be a wall separating the boxoffice from the inside guest services area. All getting rebuilt. Notice the doors to nowhere still remaining. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Theatre #1 - originally the Premiere Theatre, soon to be an Imax venue:
The south end of the lobby devoted to the Premiere Theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
The entrance rotunda to the big house. Photo: Bill Counter - 2021
The Premiere Theatre. Thanks to Eric Richardson for his 2009 photo on
Flickr. Note the sidewall cove lighting, not in use in later years.
Another view to the rear. Photo: Bill Counter - 2021
A sidewall view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2021
The rear of the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2021
A balcony view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2021
The rear of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2021
A look toward the 70' screen in the Premiere Theatre. It's a photo that appeared in 2022 on the
L.A. Live Facebook page.
The
barricade closing off the south end of the lobby during the rebuild of
the Premiere Theatre into an Imax venue. Photo: Bill Counter - September
2025
The Premiere's snackbar during the rebuild. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Over to the left it's the entrance to the big house. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Downstairs - auditoria #2 through #7:
The main floor inner lobby leading to auditoria 2 through 7. We're looking west with Olympic Blvd. and the 110 freeway out the windows to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
The view in September 2025 with the entrance to #2 and #3 barricaded for a rebuild and installation of recliners. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Auditorium #2, seen here with its original decorative scheme. The capacity was 286. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
The rear of auditorium #2 as it was in 2019. Note the Atmos speaker installation. Photo: Bill Counter
#4, also closed for a remodel at the time of the shot. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The entrance to auditorium #5. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
End of the line on the main floor. The Pepsi 4DX signage on the right is what you see walking toward this but the entrance to that auditorium, #6, is actually over to the left. The open doors in the center of the image go to #7. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The back of the 4DX auditorium, #6. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
#6 as seen from house left. The capacity is 100, counting wheelchair spaces. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The screen end of #6 during an Imax promo. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Sections 1 and 2 of the serpentine ramp to get into auditorium #7. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Ramp section 3 with #7's screen coming into view. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
A look to the top of #7. Before the rebuild this was a 219 seat house. With the recliners it's now 101. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The 50' wide screen in #7. No movable masking. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Upstairs - auditoria #8 through #14:
Along the walkway toward the entrances for #8 and #9. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The view to the north. It's the 110 over on the left. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The rear of house #8 after a redecoration and rebuild for recliners. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
A peek into the booth of #8. Digital on the left, 35mm on the right. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The front of house #8. Capacity here is now 122. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
A look back to the lobby from the entrance to #10 and #11. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The rear of #11. The three ladies were early arrivals for a screening of "Hamilton." Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
Across the back of #11. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The front of #11. Screen width is about 44'. The capacity is 121. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The pod at the end with entrances to #12, #13 and #14. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The stairs down from level 2. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
A look at the mezzanine level on the way down. The windows are on the east side of the building, looking out toward the Ritz-Carlton. To the right note an escalator and stairs intended for patrons of theatre #1. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
The stairs down to the main lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
More exterior views:
A 2009 pre-opening view. Thanks to Eric Richardson for sharing the photo on
Flickr.
The 110 drive-by shot. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010
Looking west on Olympic. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The boxoffice during a rebuild. The stripped-out wall was soon removed. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2025
More Information: See the
Cinema Tour page for 12 photos by Chris Utley.
Cinema Treasures also has a page on the Regal.
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