The expanded Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline has officially reopened after completing a major expansion project.
The 14,000-square-foot addition includes two new theaters for a total of six screens, an expanded lobby, and an events and community space.
Executive Director and CEO Katherine Tallman said she hopes the expansion will keep movie fans returning to the historic nonprofit theater time and time again.
“I think that people who have been coming here since 1933 — literally generations — will continue to come here, and we'll continue to attract new people,” Tallman said. “We've really noticed since COVID, our demographic has gotten a lot younger. So, we have a whole new generation of people that are coming here and now we'll have more and more to offer them. So we'll always have something for everybody.”
The expansion project, which cost $12.5 million and was the focus of a fundraising campaign, has been in the works for years.
“We've all been running up this mountain for ten years,” Tallman said. “And then we got to the top and it's kind of stunning. Now we can really get to the fun part. Now we can do more programming. Now we can have more events. Now we can really welcome people in.”
Coolidge Deputy Director Beth Gilligan said in addition to being able to show more films, the new space provides more opportunities for cinema fans to gather and connect.
“I think we're just going to be a beacon of film and culture for all of New England, and we're gonna be able to offer so much more,” she said. “I think film is such a gateway to different art forms, to dialog about different issues and just communal joy. There's nothing like seeing a film in a packed house and having the audience react along with you. And I think to be able to introduce more and more people to that experience is a really incredible thing.”
Nick Lazzaro, technical director at the Coolidge, said the additional screens will also allow more first-run films while still being faithful to the theater's history. For instance, the first two movies playing on the new screens are “The Wizard of Oz” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
“This side of the building offers a lot of new amenities,” he said, referring to the expansion. “It's got state-of-the-art technology, there's more lobby space. But you are marrying something more modern with something very kind of traditional. I know all of us feel as stewards of the Coolidge vibe that you want it to gel really well. I think that between the way we decorate and the way that we program, it's going to make everything gel.”
Gilligan said the support the Coolidge has received from the community has been immense, and she is excited the theater can now give back and be a place to bring people together.
“Everybody in our staff really loves film," she said. "They believe in our mission. And I think that sort of resonates throughout the building. You can get a sense people really care about what we're doing here on every level.”
