UPDATED: This post has been updated to include Cinespia‘s full lineup of screenings planned from May through July.
Cinespia, L.A.’s first and longest running series of outdoor movie screenings, has set its summer lineup, returning for a 22nd season of programming held at L.A. State Historic Park, the Greek Theatre and the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
“We’re thrilled to be back for our 22nd season with an amazing lineup of fan-favorite films,” stated Cinespia founder, John Wyatt, announcing this summer’s screenings, presented by Amazon Studios.
The season kicks off on June 3 with a special presentation of “The Lost Boys,” followed by “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” on June 10 and “She’s All That” on June 16.
Then, Cinespia will again partner with the Christopher Street West Association (CSW) — the nonprofit that has produced L.A. Pride celebration for more than 50 years — to host a special screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in celebration of Pride on June 24.
“We’ve been celebrating Pride at Cinespia for as long as I can remember, and we’re excited to be bringing back ‘Rocky Horror’ to fans,” Wyatt added.
Cinespia will also partner with L.A. pride for a special screening of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on June 17.
Previously announced screenings for May include “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and “10 Things I Hate about You.”
Cinespia has been screening movies at across Los Angeles since 2002, when it first presented “Strangers on a Train” for a few hundred people. The outdoor event now regularly hosts over 30 events a year, with crowds of up to 4,000 moviegoers at venues including the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, The Greek Theatre and the Los Angeles Historic Park. The screenings also feature free, custom photobooths that put fans into their favorite movie scenes, as well as high-energy sets from world-class DJs before and after the movie.
In July, Cinespia will screen “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” on July 1, with an accompanying fireworks show, “Fight Club” on July 8, “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” on July 15, “Gremlins” on July 22 and “Valley Girl” on July 29, all at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, along with a screening of “The Fifth Element” on July 21 at L.A. State Historic Park
Ahead of the summer season, Cinespia inked a new partnership with Tony’s Chocolonely, with a limited-edition, custom-wrapped collaboration chocolate bar designed by Cinespia’s creative director, Alia Penner, made available exclusively to guests at concessions.
“I love the colorful world of Tony’s Chocolonely and it feels like a perfect collaboration to bring the love of movies and chocolate to Cinespia,” Penner said of the sweet treat, which is filled with Tony’s popular “Everything Bar” flavor. “I really did feel like I was Willy Wonka when I was designing them. ‘We are the Music-Makers and we are the Dreamers of Dreams’ – and in this case, chocolate bars!”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cinespia.org.
The full lineup of screenings is below:
Friday, May 19 – “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” at LA State Historic Park, with a DJ set by Zach Cowie
Brace your fellowship for a night of surging fantasy and heart-rattling adventure at the Cinespia debut of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic phantasmagoria! Humble Hobbit Frodo Baggins has a mighty adventure in store when he inherits a perilous treasure. Things go ‘alf when wizard Gandalf the Gray reveals the storied past of the One Ring To Rule Them All, and the nefarious plan by Dark Lord Sauron to harness its sinister powers. Enjoy heaven on Middle-Earth as we bring the fantasy magnum opus to life in view of the towering sights of the Los Angeles skyline in the breathtaking green grandeur of LA State Historic Park. Whether it’s your eleventy-first birthday, or a friendly outing with your legion of lore-lovers, arrive early to enjoy our free photobooth and world-building DJ sets by Zach Cowie.
Friday, May 26 – “Mrs. Doubtfire,” a 30th anniversary celebration, at LA State Historic Park
Celebrate the beloved, lightning-in-a-bottle comedy genius of Robin Williams in this 30th Anniversary Event. Gather round, dearies, for a zany tour de force of physical comedy, sweeping sentimentality, and exuberance only Robin Williams could pull off. Move over Mary Poppins, there’s a new nanny in town. Daniel is a lovable but aloof father who wants to spend more time with his adorable children following a divorce. When his ex-wife has a new beau, it’s time to act fast. Sometimes family is a drag — literally! With a little help from his brother (and heavy prosthetics), Daniel becomes a blessing in disguise: a British nanny who easily wins the heart of his family. Pay tribute to the comic mastery of Robin Williams’s limitless energy and heartfelt authenticity. Bring your little ones and family, or ride the nostalgia wave with your best friends. No need for a run-by fruiting: we have plenty to eat and imbibe at our concessions stand and bar. Hold on to your teeth in our free photobooth for a family portrait inspired by the film. All our love to you, Poppet!
Saturday, May 27 – “10 Things I Hate about You” at LA State Historic Park
It’s too-good-to-be-true love at first smite when new kid Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) pines for beauty queen Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). The only problem? She can’t start dating until her sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does too, a real challenge when one’s from Planet Loser and the other from Planet Look-at-Me. What’s a smitten boy to do? Bribe outcast hottie Patrick (Heath Ledger) to charm and disarm riot grrrl Kat, of course. You’ll definitely be whelmed by the legit chemistry between Kat and Patrick, rebel teens who steal the show with their sweetness and dazzling wits. After all, it’s a thin line between love and hate. Written by Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah. Enjoy Shakespeare in the park with a twist as we party like it’s 1999. Wear your Skechers and your Prada backpack for our free photobooth, or don your best late 90s/Y2K lewks. You’ll undulate with desire with classic candies, popcorn, nachos and hot dogs from our Concessions Stand. Our Bar has the fixings for an attitude adjustment to make the night carefree. DJ sets before and after the film are sure to satisfy teen queens, AV Geeks, class cowboys, and the heinously misunderstood. Leave the family drama at home and bring your sisterhood, besties or crush. We want you, we need you, oh baby oh baby!
Saturday, June 3 – “The Lost Boys” at The Greek Theatre
The night life is all bite in the 80s horror-comedy classic full of vampire renegades, neck-romance, and blood brothers. After moving to a coastal town, two brothers (Corey Haim and Jason Patric) learn the boardwalk is more goth than they anticipated when suburban punks turn out to be beach town vampires. After one brother gets bitten by the love bug and inducted into the vampiric group, can the other defeat the undead with his family at stake? Tough stuff with Kiefer Sutherland as the leader of the deadbreath biker gang. Pack a picnic and grab your holy water (garlic just won’t do), or visit our concession stands for popcorn, kettlecorn, hot dogs, nachos, and other delicious summer favorites. Don’t wait in vein, party before and after the film with DJ sets spinning, and the panoramic views of the Los Angeles cityscape from the hills of Griffith Park.
Saturday, June 10 – “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” at The Greek Theatre
We’re ready, we’re ready to take a cinematic plunge with a lovable sponge as Bikini Bottom comes to the heights of the Greek Theatre. For SpongeBob, life is fun under the sun and glee under the sea. When the fry cook supreme loses a promotion, he enlists his (truly) one of a kind buddy, Patrick Star, to help him on an epic quest to save the Krusty Krab. Can SpongeBob put on his big boy SquarePants to prove he’s management material? By the crown of Neptune, he’ll sure try. Pack your own Krabby Patty picnic, or stock up on a boat-load of eats from our concessions stand. If nautical nonsense be something you wish, dance to our DJ sets and flop like a fish. Bring your BFF (best fish friend) for a night heavy on joy and mermaid magic. We’re all Goofy Goobers at heart.
Friday, June 16 – “She’s All That” at LA State Historic Park
Sparks fly when date night meets 90s prom-com delight! Bet you can’t guess what happens when a brokenhearted hottie is challenged to make the school misfit into a prom queen. Boys don’t skip classes for girls who wear glasses, according to the school jocks. Love is one in Pygmalion when the cuties Rachel Leigh Cook and Freddie Prince Jr. stop being polite and start getting real. Can they ditch their cliques to kiss beneath the bearded barley? It’s a glow up from the flo’ up with a lovable time capsule of brawn (Paul Walker!), bubble gum pop, and brains, also starring Kieran Culkin, Matthew Lillard, Gabrielle Union, Anna Paquin, Usher, and Lil Kim. Check it out now, funk soul brothers and feisty friends: DJ sets will make the night sizzle. Don’t shiz frisbees: we have a full bar for all you desire, concessions treats and plenty of food options. Dress in your 90s MTV best for our free photobooth. Head over to LA State Historic Park for makeover magic that’ll make the fireflies dance silver moon’s sparkling, Sixpence None The Richer-style.
Saturday, June 17 –“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” a 70th anniversary celebration,at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, presented with LA Pride
The stars align for a bejeweled LA Pride night of queer camp gold and silver screen goddesses! Glamour and l’amour bring special sparkle to Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the 70th Anniversary of the frothy romp with blonde ambition and brunette bawdiness. Show your love for queer icons Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell and the razzle dazzle that leaves the fellas frazzled. They’re just two little girls from Little Rock with their minds on some money and new honeys on their minds.Marilyn Monroe is smarter than your average gold digger in a satire on how to get away with marriage. Can she use her blondage to temper the bondage of singledom? Meanwhile BFF Jane Russell is along for the joyride with an eye for passion over pocketbooks. When love goes wrong, Paris sounds right. Ain’t there anyone here for love? BYO Tiara (Lady Beakman insists) and picnic with beer and wine, or let our bar help you vamp. Ramp up the raucousness with candy sweets and grilled treats from our concessions and food stands. Giggle and wiggle on the dance floor with lux DJ sets to make our Pride Celebration shine. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend in our free photobooth, so bring the glamour.
Saturday, June 24 – “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at LA State Historic Park
Rock out with your flock out for a special Pride screening of our favorite obsession: mind-flip, time-slip drag-num opus The Rocky Horror Picture Show at LA State Historic Park! (Tell us about it, Janet.) Shiver with antici-pation for the sweet transvestite who sizzles and struts with anarchic glee. Wave your freak flag high and give yourself over to absolute pleasure with Tim Curry’s deliciously devious role in a celebratory kaleidoscope of B-movie reverence, oddball glitz and gonzo garishness. A dowdy couple in need of some tension relief find their worlds pushed to swinging limits by madcap Dr. Frank N Furter in a manor where the gang’s all queer. Be careful what you itch for! Featuring a marquee bursting cast of unforgettable characters and songs sure to razzle and bedazzle. Watch the lace odyssey on the big screen and enjoy a Pride party dripping with lux lust and freaky cheeky surprises for queerdos, party monsters, punks and all beautiful creatures of the night. Come up to the concessions lab and see what’s on the slab: hot popcorn, classic candies, hot dogs, and nachos. Oh honey! DJ sets before and after the film will set the sonic oscillator ablaze. Our bar has that elusive ingredient to get the celluloid jam going. You are the guiding star in our free photobooth, so wear your RKO best. Whatever happened to Saturday night? Come out of the velvet darkness and see!
Saturday, July 1 –“Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”at Hollywood Forever Cemetery with fireworks
Pack your bowtie and buckle up for a crayon-colored adventure with Pee-Wee (that’s his name, don’t wear it out)!Take a cartoonish cross-country joyride with help from visionary director Tim Burton. Pee-wee is a rebel with a cause: to track down his beloved bike no matter where the adventure takes him. Hilarity and a cavalcade of quirkiness ensues! Sparks fly after the main feature with a spectacular firework show to ring in July. Cinespia DJ sets will turn a precious night into a party. Bring your best friends and family for a twee picnic, or let our concessions stand and grill add extra flare to your night. Be sure to visit our free photobooth for a chance to step into the wild, wonderful world of a lovable kook. (I know you are, but what am I?)
Saturday, July 8 –“Fight Club” at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Fight for your right to party with sud brothers Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in David Fincher’s ballistic gut punch masterpiece. Ikea idealism and Starbucks dreariness get hit by a wrecking ball when a buttoned-up insomniac meets the man who just might turn his life around. Brad Pitt is a hot and bothersome, picture perfect anarchist: hard on capitalism, but easy on the eyes. Bro code goes guerilla when new buddies become bank yankees — not to steal, but for a righteous paradigm shift. Add in Helena Bonham Carter as a deadpan darling who smokes a pack a minute, and the trouble hurts so good. But how long before bravado turns to unstoppable beast mode? I could tell ya, but you know rule number one of Fight Club. Throw ‘em up for DJ sets that will get the revolution revved up. Grilled eats and concessions snacks will help youbulk up, or bag your own picnic. Our bar packs a punch with cold beers and a selection of wine. The clock’s ticking so hop into our free photobooth for a slice of the action. (“Yes, sir.”)
Saturday, July 15 –“Romy and Michele’s High School Reunionat Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Whether you’re a Romy or a Michele, a Mary or a Rhoda, reunite with the quirkiest 90s fashionistas in a flirty, frisky world of their own. The road back to high school is neon-colored for two best friends who may or may not have invented Post-Its. Can a convertible and a flip phone fool the popular girls that made high school a living hell? Pack a picnic with your version of a Business Woman Special, or indulge in grilled deliciousness and candy confections fit for a diet of gummy bears, jelly beans, and candy corns. Dress the cutest you’ve ever looked: Swing that big ponytail, or gloss up your fit for a fashionable Free photobooth that deserves your A-game. Relive the perfect pop gem with spectacular DJ sets. Have a Romy and Michele Day!
Friday, July 21 –The Fifth Elementat LA State Historic Park
The action-packed cyberpunk spectacle brings cosmic flares and frenzy to LA State Historic Park! With 23rd-century New York on the brink of destruction, it’s up to cab driver and unlikely hero Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis)to protect Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), the human incarnate of the Fifth Element. Can the duo stop intergalactically slick villain Zorg (Gary Oldman) from destroying humanity? With costumes by Jean-Paul Gautier, dazzling special effects, stunning photography, and Chris Tucker as the dandy futurist Ruby Rhod, you gotta see the unique sci-fi pop space odyssey under the stars. DJ sets bring the stellar beats to the yard, while our concessions stand will keep you stocked with candy classics. Celebrate the spectacle with a themed photobooth.
Saturday, July 22 –Gremlinsat Hollywood Forever Cemetery
It’s Christmas in July with Gizmo and co! First they’re cute, then they’re carnivorous as mischief and mayhem reign the night. A salesman’s Christmas gift for his son ravages the town when he doesn’t heed the warning to keep from feeding the beast. Wreck the halls at Hollywood Forever Cemetery becomes a crazed Christmasy critter country. You won’t believe our free photobooth in honor of the adorable little monsters. DJ sets before and after the film, and a beer and wine bar will bring the holiday season interlude during a SoCal summer night.
Saturday, July 29 –Valley Girl, a 40th anniversary celebration, at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Stop the world and melt with a 40th Anniversary trip down SoCal memory lane. It’s a trippendicular tale as old as time: Valley Girl meets Hollywood boy, and love blooms despite being from opposite sides of the (sound)tracks. Sure, her friends have their misgivings (“like, gag me with a spoon”), but what can you do when you’re eaten by the monster of love? If she doesn’t shape up, she can kiss the bitchin’ val guys goodbye. With Nicolas Cage at his most fun-hinged, how can anyone say no to that triangle of chest-hair? Checkout those pecs! They got a word for girls like her, you just gotta brush on your val-speak to get it. Enjoy the LA classic with a banger a minute that will transport you back in time when punk, new wave, and yacht pop rocked the same city. I’m so sure! Our DJ dance party is more fun than a night at the Valley Sheraton. It’s the social event of the season, so invite your best dudes, dudettes, and mall-hopping mega-friends. Tubular eats from our concessions stand and grill will set the vibe. Wear those loud prints and chunky scrunchies for our free photobooth.
