Seattle's 'Cathedral of Cinema' is coming back

On Thursday the nonprofit film and educational organization Seattle International Film Festival — aka SIFF — announced it had acquired the Seattle Cinerama, and will be bringing movies back to the very, very big screen.

In 1963 the Seattle Cinerama opened to the public, playing "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm."

RELATED: SIFF acquires historic Seattle theater Cinerama

The wide-screen format — filmed using three cameras — was designed to combat the growing threat of television, and keep people coming to the theater. Since then, like any good movie plot, the Cinerama has faced its ups and downs.

As filming techniques changed and multiplex theaters took off late in the 20th century, Cinerama theaters were left behind. Sales in Seattle dropped so low that by 1997 the theater was in danger of being demolished.

Enter billionaire Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen. Allen bought Seattle’s Cinerama theater and renovated it for modern audiences. It is now one of only three Cineramas left on Earth.

With gourmet chocolate popcorn and high tech laser projection, the theater became a draw for major motion picture releases, as well as for screenings of historic prints. Then the pandemic hit. In February of 2020, Paul Allen's estate laid off staff and closed the theater doors "for the foreseeable future."

It was a cliffhanger! A will they or won't they for the ages! Would the Cinerama ever return? Well, now we have an answer. The Cinerama is entering its third act.

KUOW arts and culture reporter Mike Davis sat down with SIFF Executive Director Tom Mara on Friday to learn about the acquisition.

Listen to the full interview above