Big Sean plots big movie theater downtown

We’ve written many a wish list requesting a large movie theater in downtown Detroit; it looks like someone was listening. Crain’s first reported that Big Sean and Emagine Entertainment are planning to open a multiplex in downtown Detroit. The project could have a music venue included and they’re currently searching for the right location.

Currently, Detroit has limited choices for movie theaters. Cinema Detroit in Midtown and Bel Air Luxury Cinema on 8 Mile both play newer movies. Both the Redford and the Senate Theaters show old movies on the weekends. The Ren Center had a four-screen movie theater, which closed in 2015.

According to Crain’s, founder and chairman of Emagine Paul Glantz said “...he hopes to have the theater “open in time for 2020” and that it would have between 1,000 and 1,300 seats and 10-12 screens. A site is expected to be finalized this year. Big Sean is “very much” an equity partner in the joint venture, he said, adding that the theater could be part of a larger mixed-use project.”

Knowing that downtown can mean a pretty large area, let’s brainstorm. Glantz recently purchased the building in Milwaukee Junction with the “We Kahn Do It” mural, and that centrally-located area could be boosted by this kind of development. Midtown has room for a large development, especially between MLK and Temple. Perhaps somewhere along East Jefferson could support it; the east side lacks good movie theater access.

Let’s hear your ideas. Would you like to see it closer to the downtown core, or further out in New Center or a different neighborhood?

We’ll update this story with move information as we have it.