PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

The 99-year-old Hollywood Theater in Dormont will reopen on Nov. 6, after a transformative, two-year renovation that aims to provide a moviegoing experience like none other in Pittsburgh.

Row House Cinemas, operators of the popular single-screen theater in Lawrenceville, purchased the Hollywood in 2023. They hosted a number of events in the theater as it was that summer before renovations began in the autumn of that year; now, the theater is nearly ready to welcome guests.

The goal of the renovation was to restore the Hollywood to its long-lost status as “an atmospheric movie theater,” says Row House principal Brian Mendelssohn. That term refers to theaters built to give the illusion of being outdoors, with stars and celestial bodies above and custom architecture and sets on the sides of the room; atmospheric cinemas were a trend of the 1920s and ’30s, and the Hollywood originally opened in 1926 promising a theater “where the moon and stars shine,” according to original marketing materials.

“Even though you’re inside, it has a sky, it has buildings, it has stars as the sun sets,” Mendelssohn says, comparing the construction to modern trends used in Las Vegas attractions and Disney theme parks. Row House is partnering with the design company Needs More Fog, responsible for the acclaimed ScareHouse haunted attraction and more immersive experiences, to create a design inspired by the Art-Deco aesthetic of the classic film “Metropolis.”

The 400-seat auditorium will have the capability to screen in several different formats, including 70-millimeter film; it will do so using the fully restored projection system once employed at Downtown’s Byham Theater (which, Row House staff noted, was the projector used for the world premiere of “Night of the Living Dead.”)

Another auditorium has been built in the theater’s basement. The second screen, an intimate screening room with 46 seats, will be used for smaller events and additional programming.

The theater aims to present a mix of first-run movies, special programming and live events; a newly built stage was designed to accommodate a range of uses, from podcast-style Q&A sessions to “Rocky Horror Picture Show” shadowcast performances (the local “Rocky Horror” group, the Junior Chamber of Commerce Players, will have a permanent dressing room in the new theater). The concession stand will offer a selection of beer in addition to snacks and some food items.

The grand-opening presentation on Nov. 6 will feature a screening of “Metropolis” with live musical accompaniment; tickets are on sale now. In the weeks preceding the grand opening, a soft launch will begin with programming for members of Row House’s film club; the public can expect some screenings and events by mid-to-late October, including “Rocky Horror” events and other Halloween programming.

Mendelssohn says the renovations were conceived to offer an experience that is both distinct from the traditional multiplex model and much more communal in nature.

“When you’re watching a movie in a room that’s designed for moviegoers to have that shared experience, that energy creates a magical time … That’s why you pay money to come here as opposed to watching a movie on your TV at home.”