It has been years in the making, but the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater is set to show it’s first film on Monday, Oct. 18. The line up is here.

Rumors first started circulating that the Austin-based cinema chain would take over the sub-basement of 28 Liberty — 37,000 square feet — at Fosun Plaza (nee Chase Manhattan Plaza) back in May 2017. They confirmed plans a year later. But then the pandemic hit and the company declared bankruptcy – which I assume they are operating out of now.

There are 40 locations around the country, including Brooklyn, which opened in 2016, and Yonkers, which opened in 2013. There are a bunch more coming down the pike including a Staten Island location with a kung-fu themed video store and bar co-designed and curated by Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA.

The Fidi location will have 14 screens, 578 seats and then what I still don’t fully understand: The Press Room, a museum (to printing), a letterpress print shop, a bar, and a private event space all-in-one. The museum will have selections from a vast archive of over 60,000 letterpress film advertising plates from newspapers of the 1930s through the 1980s, and the letterpress will be used for limited edition greeting cards, private events, and classes . (I will stay loyal to Bowne…)

There’s also a tap wall of 48 draft beers.

In addition to the regular showings, there’s also a series of films shot in NYC called “Lights of New York” – a nod to the 1928 film that’s been thought of as the first full-length, all “talkie” film.

Beginning October 18th
SPEEDY (1928)
KING KONG (1933)
ON THE TOWN (1949)

Beginning October 22nd
REAR WINDOW (1954)
BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (1967)
PUTNEY SWOPE (1969)

Beginning October 29th
GOD TOLD ME TO (1976)
SMITHEREENS (1982)
GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)
THE ADDICTION (1995)

Beginning November 5th
INSIDE MAN (2006)
GOOD TIME (2017)
SHIVA BABY (2020)