Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has announced that its flagship San Francisco New Mission location will be officially renamed the Christopher Nolan Cinema, honoring the Academy Award-winning filmmaker whose commitment to film preservation, theatrical exhibition, and large-format presentation have defined the modern filmgoing experience.
The announcement comes after last Thursday’s ticket launch for the 70mm and Premium Large Format release of Nolan’s new mythic action epic from Universal Pictures, The Odyssey, opening on July 17. Nolan joins a distinguished set of groundbreaking filmmakers and performers whose names adorn Alamo Drafthouse locations, a group that includes Spike Lee, John Hughes, Ivan Reitman, Bong Joon Ho, and Pam Grier. The honor will be officially commemorated later this year at a 70mm screening event in San Francisco that Nolan will attend and guest curate.
The New Mission Theater first opened on May 4, 1916 and received its iconic design during a 1932 remodel by Timothy Pflueger, one of the most important architects in Bay Area history, whose portfolio includes the Castro Theatre, Oakland’s Paramount Theatre, and the Bay Bridge. The theater went dark in 1993 and sat vacant for over two decades before community activists, preservationists, and Alamo Drafthouse brought it back to life. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 and designated San Francisco Landmark #245 in 2004.
When New Mission opened its doors as an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on December 17, 2015, it was the first time in 22 years that the theater played movies. The 2015 restoration recreated the original paint palette and 1930s carpeting, preserved surviving murals, and revitalized architect Pflueger’s landmark Art Deco promenade with cast plaster details. A complete seismic retrofit modernized the structure, which now includes a full-service kitchen and the Bear vs. Bull bar. It was renovated in 2026 with new seats and carpeting throughout the building.
“By dedicating New Mission in Mr. Nolan’s name, we’re celebrating and thanking a filmmaker whose work has consistently championed cinema not merely as entertainment, but as a cultural inheritance worth protecting,” says Michael Kustermann, the chief executive officer of Alamo Drafthouse. “The same auditorium that ran silent movies in 1916 now has both 70mm celluloid projection sitting beside Barco’s state-of-the-art laser projector. That trajectory feels right for the Christopher Nolan Cinema.”
“Few cities in the world are as instantly recognizable and cinematic as San Francisco,” says Manijeh Fata, the executive director of Film SF | San Francisco Film Commission. “From our iconic streets and architecture to our historic theaters and exhibition venues, film is woven into the fabric of this city. We are thrilled to welcome Christopher Nolan to San Francisco and celebrate this remarkable tribute at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission Theater, one of our city’s treasured screening spaces. Nolan’s commitment to theatrical exhibition and the moviegoing experience makes this honor especially fitting.”
“At Alamo Drafthouse, when we have widescreen epics like The Odyssey headed our way, we know that, like a Trojan Horse, each screening offers the chance to covertly remind both casual and lapsed moviegoers of how extraordinary the cinematic experience can really be,” says Chaya Rosenthal, Alamo Drafthouse’s chief marketing officer. “As we celebrate 110 years of this historic theater with a remodel and new chapter for its future, we’re deeply grateful to Mr. Nolan for the leadership he’s brought to this industry. We can’t wait to work with his team on the dedication events for the Christopher Nolan Cinema.”
“San Francisco’s New Mission is a beautiful, historic, iconic cinema with more than a century of rich history,” Christopher Nolan says. “To be recognized in this way by Alamo Drafthouse, and with this particular theater which continues the great tradition of showing films on 70mm film, is an incredible honour.”
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