Update: Alamo Drafthouse Will Open in Tempe May 24

Tempe, the wait is nearly over.

According to a post on their website: the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Tempe have announced that they will open Thursday, May 24, for the release of Solo: A Star Wars Movie.

To train their staff, there will be a soft opening starting Friday, May 18, through Wednesday, May 23. Visitors during this time will receive 25 percent off their food and nonalcoholic drink bill.

As we reported last June, the seven-screen theater will serve as an anchor for the mixed-use complex known as The Collective, located at 1140 East Baseline Road, between South Lakeshore Drive and South Rural Road.

The new location will feature a new mural by Tucson artist Joe Pagac on the building’s west wall. He recently posted a time-lapse video of his progress on his YouTube channel.

Alamo Drafthouse is known for having food and drink delivered to your seat by servers with ninja-like stealth and precision — and showing both first-run and classic films in an environment that has no tolerance for cell phones and other interruptions.

Last September, a public service announcement about the strict policy that was filmed at the Chandler location went viral. It featured child actor Jackson Robert Scott, who played the young Georgie in the hit horror film It.
Unlike the Austin-based chain’s Southeast Valley location at the Chandler Crossings shopping center at 4955 South Arizona Avenue, the Alamo Drafthouse Tempe will have a 35-millimeter film projector. This old-school piece of movie equipment should give the college town venue a greater variety of programming choices for its themed movie parties.

“We are really eager about expanding more in the Phoenix market,” says Derek Dodd, Alamo Drafthouse Phoenix's operating partner, in an email. “I was able to look at the 35mm projectors as they were being installed. That is really exciting to be able to have them at our theater. We will keep the same awesome programming that the Alamo Drafthouse is known for and we can't wait to bring that to Tempe.”

For those eager to keep up on the events and special screenings leading up to Alamo Drafthouse’s grand opening, the blog post recommends that patrons sign up for the theatre’s loyalty program known as Alamo Victory. It is free to join and it gives you perks such as food rewards, exclusive screenings, and free movies on your birthday.

No word at this time if Alamo Drafthouse Tempe will feature chimichangas, Deadpool’s favorite food, on their menu.

For the latest info on the finished product, visit the Tempe Construction Blog on Alamo's website. Here's where you'll find job openings at the Tempe and Chandler theaters.