Please update, total seating 756, A fourth screen was added December 7, 1984 when it was independent. Cineplex Odeon took over the theatre on October 31, 1986. Cineplex added two more screens on December 10, 1993 (No grand Opening ad)
Please rename theatre to Regal Hacienda Crossing and it has 21 screens plus total capacity is 2,989, theatre went under major renoation project similar to Regal Union Square
Inside the New Movie Theater Concept From the Founder of Alamo Drafthouse: Private Rooms, Gourmet Meals and Guest Attendants
Opening soon in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, Metro Private Cinema will put an intimate, upscale and very culinary spin on a night out at the movies.
By Katie Kilkenny
Plus Icon
July 10, 2025 4:28pm
Ever wish you could rent a movie theater just for yourself and your closest friends? If you’re seeking the multiplex-and-buttered-popcorn experience, the major cinema chains have you covered. But if you’re inclined towards a swankier, special-night-out vibe, a new project from Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain founder Tim League might be just what you’re looking for.
Enter Metro Private Cinema, a soon-to-open 20-screen complex in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood that caters to cinephiles eager to event-ize their movie-going experience. Choose your theater (they can seat between four and 20 people), your movie, your gourmet menu (blue prawns and summer risotto, anyone?) and you’re off to the movies.
The concept answers a common criticism of today’s chain cineplexes: that they need to further prioritize customer service and upgrade the experience that they offer in order to compete with Netflix, YouTube and the alluring comfort of one’s couch.
“It’s a night out,” League told The Hollywood Reporter of his new venture in an interview on Thursday. “If you’re going to casually catch The Legend of Ochi, you’re probably going to go to the IFC Center, you’re going to go to the Alamo, to the AMC. But if you want to have what we’re trying to create, a very special experience with dinner, friends and a movie, I think there’s an audience for it here.”
When the theater opens, viewers will be able to watch recently-released summer blockbusters like F1 or Superman or choose from the theater’s eclectic library of older movies, featuring titles like 2001’s Donnie Darko, 1985’s Back to the Future and 2009’s Dogtooth. The theater maintains that if you want to screen a movie that isn’t in their library, they’ll get it for you, for an extra fee.
The food on offer for these viewing sessions will be a step above your traditional movie theater fare. Upon opening, there will be a late summer menu (featuring stone fruits, heirloom tomatoes and summer squash) and a garlic-themed dinner available featuring starters, main dishes and desserts served family-style before the film begins.
League says that the theater’s chef has also created “seven or eight culinary cinematic adventures” custom-made for titles like Superman, Paddington 2 and Goodfellas. “Whenever we’ve done that type of thing at Alamo, it’s been some of my favorite moments and we’re just trying to go even further [here],” he said.
The experience won’t come cheap: The four-person theater runs a cool $200 for a four-hour booking while the 12-person theater costs $600. Food costs $100 a person. If you want alcoholic beverages, that will be at least $50 more.
The concept began with a conversation between League and Homeaway founder Brian Sharples around 2016, when League was still CEO of Alamo Drafthouse, a position he stepped away from in 2020. “[Sharples] had a big entertainment media room and had a great presentation and people kept on inviting themselves over for movies or the Super Bowl or the Oscars. He’s like, ‘I think there’s something here,’” League said.
League built a test environment in 2017 but the idea remained on the backburner until around 2021, he says. Construction primarily took place this year, with Alamo Drafthouse serving as one of the project’s backers. (League is still a strategic advisor at the company, which sold to Sony in 2024.)
League says New York City made sense for the initial location given its dense urban environment and the fact that the vast majority of residents don’t have the space for a great entertainment setup in their own homes. Could more theaters open with the same concept? League says yes: He’s focused on the Chelsea location as an initial experiment, but “the intent is to open more.”
Still, Chelsea has to open first: A date hasn’t yet been nailed down, but a representative for Metro Private Cinema says it will likely happen in late August or early September.
The project opens at a time of significant uncertainty over the future of in-person moviegoing in the U.S. Commentators seem to go back and forth: Is cinema dying? Or do the promising box office numbers of mid-2025 foretell a rebound of shared viewing experiences? As of last year, major cinema chains promised to invest $2.2 billion in upgrades to improve the experience, but then this year AMC Theatres also added commercials to the time historically reserved only for movie trailers.
League is betting on the appeal of an upscale night out at the movies. And Metro Private Cinema’s food, drinks and curated film selection all seem to simply put a glossy spin on Alamo Drafthouse, which now has 45 locations across the country.
But in one crucial way the new location stands apart. “You can text, as much as it pains me to say it. You can talk,” says League, nodding to Alamo’s famous “no talking, no texting” policy. After all, these are private screenings where the hosts set the rules, backed up by guest attendants who will cater to each room’s bespoke needs. “It’s just you’re a worse person if you do.”
Please add previous chains Signature Theatres and added grand opening ad as stadium seating 12/18/02 in photos section and the original grand opening ad
Please rename theatre to Alameda Theatre & Cineplex/Cinema Grill as per website and total capacity is 942. New Lux Recliners were installed several years ago.
Please update, rename theatre to AMC Cicero 14 as per website and total capacity 2,646
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 216
Theatre 2 and 8 101
Theatre 3 150
Theatre 4 288
Theatre 5 and 11 173
Theatre 6 and 12 110
Theatre 7 216
Theatre 9 151
Theatre 10 289 XL at AMC recently installed
Theatre 13 and 14 284
Please update, total seating 756, A fourth screen was added December 7, 1984 when it was independent. Cineplex Odeon took over the theatre on October 31, 1986. Cineplex added two more screens on December 10, 1993 (No grand Opening ad)
Seating Capacity: Total 756
Theatre 1 and 2 113
Theatre 3 and 4 84
Theatre 5 187
Theatre 6 175
All screens have AMC Signature Recliners.
Please update total seats 272,
Theatre 1 174
Theatre 2 and 3 49 (Upstairs)
Please rename theatre to Regal Hacienda Crossing and it has 21 screens plus total capacity is 2,989, theatre went under major renoation project similar to Regal Union Square
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 164 4DX
Theatre 2, 9, 12 and 19 47 (recliners)
Theatre 3, 8, 13 and 18 100
Theatre 4, 7, 14 and 17 147
Theatre 5, 6, 15 and 16 176
Theatre 8 and 18 100
Theatre 11 284
Theatre 20 232
Theatre 21 245 IMAX Laser
Please rename thteate to Livemore 13 Cinemas by Cinema West and total seats 995
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 2 167 Giant Screen and Atmos
Theatre 3 118 with DBOX
Theatre 4 55
Theatre 5 69
Theatre 6 58
Theatre 7 60
Theatre 8 and 9 59
Theatre 10 80
Theatre 11 40
Theatre 12 33
Theatre 13 30
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 364
Theatre 2 109
Theatre 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 21 and 23 101
Theatre 7 110
Theatre 8 124
Theatre 9 213
Theatre 10 221 with DBOX
Theatre 11 and 14 141
Theatre 12 422 with DBOX
Theatre 13 184 XD with Luxury Lounger seats
Theatre 15 237
Theatre 16 208
Theatre 17 and 18 128
Theatre 19 and 24 111
Theatre 20 and 22 93
Theatre 25 351
Please rename Cinemark Century Southland Mall as per webiste and total seats 534
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 2 64
Theatre 3 46
Theatre 4 and 5 180 with 21 DBOX seats
Please update, total seats 3,015, this is a no frills location no XD or recliners, just a few 3D screens
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 127
Theatre 2 223
Theatre 3 and 4 108
Theatre 5 154
Theatre 6 153
Theatre 7 265
Theatre 8 and 9 379
Theatre 10 254
Theatre 11 150
Theatre 12 149
Theatre 13 107
Theatre 14 106
Theatre 15 225
Theatre 16 127
Please update, total seats 1,192
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 210 XD
Theatre 2, 5 and 6 42
Theatre 3, 4 and 12 49
Theatre 7 and 8 65
Theatre 9, 10 and 11 111
Theatre 13 and 14 61
Theatre 15 48
Theatre 16 76
Grand Opening ad in the photos section
Please update, total seats 1,693
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1, 3 and 10 95
Theatre 2 and 4 99
Theatre 5 119
Theatre 6 and 7 153
Theatre 8 285
Theatre 9 284
Theatre 11 86
Theatre 12 130
Grand opening ad in the photos section
Inside the New Movie Theater Concept From the Founder of Alamo Drafthouse: Private Rooms, Gourmet Meals and Guest Attendants Opening soon in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, Metro Private Cinema will put an intimate, upscale and very culinary spin on a night out at the movies.
By Katie Kilkenny
Plus Icon
July 10, 2025 4:28pm Ever wish you could rent a movie theater just for yourself and your closest friends? If you’re seeking the multiplex-and-buttered-popcorn experience, the major cinema chains have you covered. But if you’re inclined towards a swankier, special-night-out vibe, a new project from Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain founder Tim League might be just what you’re looking for.
Enter Metro Private Cinema, a soon-to-open 20-screen complex in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood that caters to cinephiles eager to event-ize their movie-going experience. Choose your theater (they can seat between four and 20 people), your movie, your gourmet menu (blue prawns and summer risotto, anyone?) and you’re off to the movies.
The concept answers a common criticism of today’s chain cineplexes: that they need to further prioritize customer service and upgrade the experience that they offer in order to compete with Netflix, YouTube and the alluring comfort of one’s couch.
“It’s a night out,” League told The Hollywood Reporter of his new venture in an interview on Thursday. “If you’re going to casually catch The Legend of Ochi, you’re probably going to go to the IFC Center, you’re going to go to the Alamo, to the AMC. But if you want to have what we’re trying to create, a very special experience with dinner, friends and a movie, I think there’s an audience for it here.”
When the theater opens, viewers will be able to watch recently-released summer blockbusters like F1 or Superman or choose from the theater’s eclectic library of older movies, featuring titles like 2001’s Donnie Darko, 1985’s Back to the Future and 2009’s Dogtooth. The theater maintains that if you want to screen a movie that isn’t in their library, they’ll get it for you, for an extra fee.
The food on offer for these viewing sessions will be a step above your traditional movie theater fare. Upon opening, there will be a late summer menu (featuring stone fruits, heirloom tomatoes and summer squash) and a garlic-themed dinner available featuring starters, main dishes and desserts served family-style before the film begins.
League says that the theater’s chef has also created “seven or eight culinary cinematic adventures” custom-made for titles like Superman, Paddington 2 and Goodfellas. “Whenever we’ve done that type of thing at Alamo, it’s been some of my favorite moments and we’re just trying to go even further [here],” he said. The experience won’t come cheap: The four-person theater runs a cool $200 for a four-hour booking while the 12-person theater costs $600. Food costs $100 a person. If you want alcoholic beverages, that will be at least $50 more.
The concept began with a conversation between League and Homeaway founder Brian Sharples around 2016, when League was still CEO of Alamo Drafthouse, a position he stepped away from in 2020. “[Sharples] had a big entertainment media room and had a great presentation and people kept on inviting themselves over for movies or the Super Bowl or the Oscars. He’s like, ‘I think there’s something here,’” League said.
League built a test environment in 2017 but the idea remained on the backburner until around 2021, he says. Construction primarily took place this year, with Alamo Drafthouse serving as one of the project’s backers. (League is still a strategic advisor at the company, which sold to Sony in 2024.)
League says New York City made sense for the initial location given its dense urban environment and the fact that the vast majority of residents don’t have the space for a great entertainment setup in their own homes. Could more theaters open with the same concept? League says yes: He’s focused on the Chelsea location as an initial experiment, but “the intent is to open more.”
Still, Chelsea has to open first: A date hasn’t yet been nailed down, but a representative for Metro Private Cinema says it will likely happen in late August or early September.
The project opens at a time of significant uncertainty over the future of in-person moviegoing in the U.S. Commentators seem to go back and forth: Is cinema dying? Or do the promising box office numbers of mid-2025 foretell a rebound of shared viewing experiences? As of last year, major cinema chains promised to invest $2.2 billion in upgrades to improve the experience, but then this year AMC Theatres also added commercials to the time historically reserved only for movie trailers. League is betting on the appeal of an upscale night out at the movies. And Metro Private Cinema’s food, drinks and curated film selection all seem to simply put a glossy spin on Alamo Drafthouse, which now has 45 locations across the country.
But in one crucial way the new location stands apart. “You can text, as much as it pains me to say it. You can talk,” says League, nodding to Alamo’s famous “no talking, no texting” policy. After all, these are private screenings where the hosts set the rules, backed up by guest attendants who will cater to each room’s bespoke needs. “It’s just you’re a worse person if you do.”
Please update, total seats 469, recliners were installed
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 106
Theatre 2 84
Theatre 3 47
Theatre 4 and 7 49
Theatre 5 56
Theatre 6 78
Please update, total seats 1,318
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 246 IMAX with Laser
Theatre 2 230 Dolby Cinema at AMC
Theatre 3 91
Theatre 4 92
Theatre 5 42
Theatre 6 76
Theatre 7 114
Theatre 8 and 10 83
Theatre 9 90
Theatre 11 106
Theatre 12 65
Please add previous chains Signature Theatres and added grand opening ad as stadium seating 12/18/02 in photos section and the original grand opening ad
Please rename theatre to Alameda Theatre & Cineplex/Cinema Grill as per website and total capacity is 942. New Lux Recliners were installed several years ago.
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 376
Theatre 2 97
Theatre 3 and 5 82
Theatre 4 79
Theatre 6 88
Theatre 7 80 (DOLBY 3D)
Theatre 8 58
Please update total seats 17
Seating Capacity, each screen is 85 seats
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 141
Theatre 2 137
Please update, total seats 749
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 65
Theatre 2 and 4 68
Theatre 3 70
Theatre 5 103
Theatre 6 73
Theatre 7 64
Theatre 8 54
Theatre 9 56
Theatre 10 128
Please update, total seats 441
Theatre 1 35
Theatre 2 62
Theatre 3 72
Theatre 4 62
Theatre 5 72
Theatre 6 74
Theatre 7 64
Please update, total seats 1,186. This is a all recliner complex except IMAX and Dolby Atmos on 8 of the 10 screens.
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 293 IMAX
Theatre 2 108
Theatre 3 172 Giant Screen/Atmos
Theatre 4 81
Theatre 5 155 Giant Screen/Atmos
Theatre 6 69
Theatre 7 142 Screen X and Dolby 7.1
Theatre 8 37
Theatre 9 90
Theatre 10 39
Dolby Atmos in Screens 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10
Please update theatre Rheem Theatre by Cinema West and total seats 433, reduction due to recliners
Theatre 1 292 Dolby Atmos
Theatre 2, 3 and 4 47
The location is a few blocks from the Chelsea Cinema and sent a request to set up it own page on the site.
Please update total seats to 2,528 due to reduced size in Dolby and IMAX houses
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 247
Theate 2, 5 and 13 100
Theatre 3, 4, 11 and 12 139
Theatre 6 and 9 247
Theatre 7 353 IMAX with LASER
Theatre 8 214 Dolby Cinema at AMC
Theatre 14 251