El Segundo is finally getting its movie theater back.
And, if things go as planned, it’ll be even better than before.
CinemaWest, a movie theater chain known for its upscale amenities and state-of-the-art audio and visuals, will open its newest property — a 16-screen movie complex inside the old former ArcLight movie theater site, on Nash Street and Rosecrans Avenue — on Thursday, Feb. 13.
The opening of CinemaWest Beach Cities is timed to coincide with the highly anticipated premiere of Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World.”
“I think as a city, we have a very vibrant corridor here on retail and dining,” El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel said during a tour of the theater last week. “But having an anchor destination like this — especially a premium experience — is something that, as a city, you can take a lot of pride in.”
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The new theater joins a slew of upscale businesses in the evolving Rosecrans Corridor, an area that includes The Point, El Segundo’s premier retail and dining center; organic retailer Erewhon’s newest location, set to open in March; more than 20 restaurants; the high-end Bay Club athletic facility; and the Manhattan Country Club.
It will be CinemaWest’s 18th location, adding to its existing presence in California and Idaho. CinemaWest marketing specialist Emery O’Leary called the El Segundo complex “the biggest theater (for the chain) by far.”
“It’s going to become our flagship location instantly upon opening,” O’Leary said. “Our biggest theaters right now are doing 350,000 or so guests a year, and this guy’s projected to do anywhere from 800,000 to a million guests a year. It’s a big, big space.”
While the exterior remains largely unchanged, the interior has been completely reimagined, with luxury recliners, laser projection in all auditoriums — and two cutting-edge immersive theaters.
The theater also has a private space above the lobby for events and a Pink’s restaurant — featuring a full menu, beer, wine and craft cocktails — with an outdoor patio.
The theater will feature two premium experiences: a Screen X house, which will offer “270-degree field of view” movies that play on the side walls and the main screen; and a 4DX theater, which will open in April. This 4DX theater, which will be the only one of its kind in the South Bay, will boast moving seats with 21 environmental effects, including rain, snow, fog, wind and various scents.
“I like to pitch it as a theme park ride in a theater,” O’Leary said of the 4DX technology. “I tell people, ‘It’s like Disneyland came to your hometown.’”
CinemaWest Beach Cities, though, has big shoes to fill.
The former ArcLight Beach Cities was a favorite among locals, but it closed in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic effectively halted overall interest in going to the movies. Shortly after, ArcLight’s parent company, Decurion Corp., closed all 300 of its California locations.
“One of the main reasons ArcLight didn’t survive was the pandemic,” O’Leary said. “That was definitely a big hit to theaters, but we’ve seen moviegoing resume and really start to pick up, especially over this last year.”
It’s true.
More than three-quarters of Americans aged 12 to 74 saw at least one movie in a theater in 2024, according to a recent report by the National Association of Theatre Owners; that’s about 200 million Americans — which is on par with pre-pandemic moviegoing data. Movie theaters also continue bringing in more people annually than the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL combined, the theater owners association’s report said.
“The premium experience is what is going to get people out of their houses, off of their couches, and into complexes and theaters like what CinemaWest has built,” said Duncan Macdonald, senior vice president and head of business development for CJ 4DPLEX America, which partnered with CinemaWest to build the ScreenX and 4DX experiences at the new El Segundo movie house.
“We’re providing really different experiences, premium experiences, that you can’t get anywhere other than going to the theater,” Macdonald added. “It’s pretty spectacular.”
