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
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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, 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 update, total seats 2,855
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 122
Theatre 2, 3 and 14 146
Theatre 4 and 5 211
Theatre 6 and 11 122
Theatre 7 290
Theatre 8 250 IMAX with Laser
Theatre 9 214 Dolby Cinema at AMC
Theatre 10 295
Theatre 12 and 13 207
Theatre 15 166
Theatre 16 104
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 2,056 and this theatre not renovating.
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 219 MPX
Theatre 2 243 Dolby Atmos
Theatre 3 173
Theatre 4 and 5 137
Theatre 6 100
Theatre 7 99
Theatre 8, 9, 10 and 11 62
Theatre 12 122
Theatre 13 119
Theatre 14 151
Theatre 15 153
Theatre 16 156
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
Please rename the theatre to Contra Costa Cinemas, it has 10 screens and total seats 646
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 78
Theatre 2 100 Giant Screen/Dolby Atmos
Theatre 3 58
Theatre 4 24
Theatre 5 61
Theatre 6 72
Theatre 7 65 with DBOX
Theatre 8 25
Theatre 9 81
Theatre 10 82
Please update, total seats 1,144
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 10 40
Theatre 2 and 9 41
Theatre 3 86
Theatre 4 87
Theatre 5 and 6 52
Theatre 7 94
Theatre 8 80
Theatre 11 126
Theatre 12 104
Theatre 13 132
Theatre 14 169 XD
PLEASE UPDATE, TOTAL SEATS 2,408
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 166 DBOX
Theatre 2 96
Theatre 3 94
Theatre 4 105
Theatre 5 270 DBOX
Theatre 6 279
Theatre 7 232
Theatre 8 231
Theatre 9 173
Theatre 10 132
Theatre 11 108
Theatre 12 106
Theatre 13 99
Theatre 14 93
Theatre 15 96
Theatre 16 238
updated a better grand opening ad in the photos section
Please update, total seats 1,451
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 168
Theatre 2 49
Theatre 3 106
Theatre 4 103
Theatre 5 164 XD
Theatre 6 70
Theatre 7 69
Theatre 8 64
Theatre 9 and 10 59
Theatre 11 43
Theatre 12 91
Theatre 13 90
Theatre 14 135
Theatre 15 134
Theatre 16 47
Please update total capacity to 971
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 152 JB-X
Theatre 2 100
Theatre 3 and 4 46
Theatre 5 and 6 50
Theatre 7 40
Theatre 8, 9 and 10 60
Theatre 11 48
Theatre 12 66
Theatre 13 100 JB-X
Theatre 14 153 JB-X
Grand Opening ad in phtos section
Please update name to Cinemark Hollywood Pasadena and XD