Movieland at Boulevard Square, Richmond’s only first-run movie theater within the city limits, is undergoing its most significant renovation since opening in 2009. The multimillion-dollar project will enhance the movie-going experience with new features and upgraded amenities.

“Over the next six months, we will construct two new BTX: Bow Tie Extreme large-format auditoriums with 50-foot-wide screens, Dolby Atmos sound, and electric recliner seating,” said Ben Moss, co-founder and managing partner of Bow Tie Partners.

 Electric recliners are part of the theater’s ongoing renovation.
 

Moss added the project will also “upgrade the seating in all auditoriums to luxury electric recliners with integrated tables, increase screen sizes in multiple auditoriums, construct and open Playland Arcade at Movieland, a state-of-the-art family-friendly arcade and duckpin bowling experience.”

Other improvements include an expanded kitchen and bar facility to enhance food and beverage offerings. Six auditoriums featuring the new electric recliner seating will open in time for Christmas, with the remaining renovations expected to be completed by spring 2025. Guests can preview the new recliners in Movieland’s lobby.

The theater, located at the intersection of North Arthur Ashe Boulevard and Leigh Street, is owned by Bow Tie Partners, a family-operated entertainment and real estate company with a history rooted in vaudeville and early motion picture theaters, according to a press release. Movieland has been a key fixture in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood and is part of Boulevard Square, a redevelopment of historic structures that includes a former locomotive assembly plant and a brass foundry.