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A24 is opening the doors of the newly renovated Cherry Lane Theatre — an Off-Broadway theater that the indie studio has transformed into a cultural epicenter for movies, theater, music, food, stand-up, and much more.
The Big Picture: Entertainment companies building their own physical spaces is nothing new (ever been to Disneyland or Universal Studios?), but it has significantly ramped up in recent years. Netflix announced interactive spaces and opened a restaurant in Las Vegas, Sony opened Wonderverse in Chicago, and Lionsgate cut the ribbon on a theme park in China. A24 seems to be charting a course for how to translate those branded experiences into the smaller-budget indie realm.
Behind the Curtain: A24 purchased the 167-seat theater for $10 million and has spent about $2.3 million on renovating it since then.
- The theater will remain primarily an Off-Broadway venue, giving A24 fans and other theatergoers the chance to discover new voices — not necessarily ones already working with the studio, but expect some to get tapped to do so.
- It will also host filmmaker-curated screening series (Sofia Coppola is up first), standup performances (Ramy Youssef just did one), and unique parties (like the one Haim threw ahead of their new album).
- There will also be some top-tier food — A24 has recruited Frenchette Group (the company behind popular New York eateries like Frenchette and Le Rock) to run a restaurant and bar within the theater.
Encore: A24 is going to great lengths to make sure that Cherry Lane is not stuffed with corporate synergy or over-organization. It won’t have a season pass or subscribers, and it plans to keep ticket prices relatively accessible for the average audience. But this is a company with a popular membership program, a budding lifestyle line, and a reputation for selling its films and shows through innovative marketing. Essentially, A24 is a master of culturally tapped-in branding.
So, when it comes to catering to the kinds of artists and cinephiles that the studio attracts, maintaining its well-earned coolness factor at Cherry Lane is a key part of the draw.
Final Bow: We wouldn’t be surprised if catching a surprise performance or event at Cherry Lane becomes a must for cinephiles visiting NYC, expanding Off Broadway’s audience.
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