Pathé Bellecour, Movie theater in 2nd arrondissement of Lyon, France
Pathé Bellecour is a multiplex cinema in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon, with ten screening rooms and a total of around 2,100 seats. All rooms are equipped with digital projection, and several offer 3D screenings.
Pathé Bellecour opened on 9 March 1933, built by Pathé Natan on the site of the Casino-Kursaal to designs by Eugène Chirié, supervised by Bernard Natan. Its first screening was Paris-Méditerranée by Joe May. With 1,800 seats, a stalls level and two balconies, it was then Lyon's largest cinema. Remodelled in 1995 into the city's first multiplex, it was renovated again in 2024 with new seats and laser projectors.
The cinema draws in school groups, families, and regulars from the neighborhood, making it one of the busiest spots on Rue de la République on weekend evenings. French films and international productions are shown in the original language with subtitles on certain screenings, which local cinephiles tend to prefer.
The cinema sits on Rue de la République, one of Lyon's main pedestrian streets, making it easy to reach on foot from Place Bellecour or by metro. The entrance and all rooms are fully accessible for visitors with reduced mobility.
The building's exterior was designed in the "spectacle" style, with a strongly lit facade and a 33-metre concrete tower topped by Pathé's emblem: a golden rooster perched on a globe representing the Earth. The rooster has stood there since the cinema opened in 1933.
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