/Film LA: Academy And LACMA Plan Long Needed Movie Museum; Grauman’s Chinese Theatre To Be Renovated
As strange as it sounds, Hollywood – the place all people think of when they think of movies – doesn’t have a centralized place to commemorate and celebrate the industry that keeps the city alive. Tourists can see parts of film history by visiting various movie studios or Grauman’s Chinese Theater, but there is no ultimate movie museum filled with the history of the business.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scienceshas been trying to rectify this problem for decades to no avail. A new development might have changed that though. The Academy has just signed an agreement with theLos Angeles County Museum of Artto put a real movie museum in Los Angeles.
Before that happens though, one of the most famous movie destinations – the aforementionedGrauman’s Chinese Theater- is also undergoing a major change: a $2 million renovation that includes a new restaurant and more. Read more about each film destination after the jump.
The Wrapfirst broke the news of the agreement between the Academy and LACMA which should start the ball rolling on a museum. Here’s the official wording:
Confusing, I know. But here’s the gist. The Academy has been trying to find a place to put a major movie museum for some time and now but haven’t been able to afford it. This new deal helps solve that problem because teaming with LACMA means they will house the museum at one of their pre-existing structures. As for the agreement itself, it means that a formal contract can soon be signed to do actual work: fundraising, construction, etc. But that’s all a ways off. There are more details at The Wrap but, basically, this is a significant first step in the establishing of a movie museum in Los Angeles.
The Grauman’s Chinese News is not nearly as big, but it is fitting that the announcement happens on a day when Hollywood might finally get moving on a movie museum. Most tourists flock to Grauman’s as the epicenter of Hollywood because of the Walk of Fame outside, the star hand prints in the courtyard and the possibility of seeing a movie premiere. The theater itself was sold back in May and the new owners are currently spending about $2 million to add a restaurant and party rooms so that the almost weekly movie premieres housed there might stay in the theater once the movie is over. You can read more about it at theLos Angeles Times.
There’s already plenty for a film fan to do in Los Angeles but it seems like it’s just going to get better.
