Austin-based cinema-eatery Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is dedicating the new Alamo Drafthouse Wrigleyville, their first theater in Illinois, to iconic Chicago filmmaker John Hughes. The dedication ceremony will take place a day before the theater opens to the public on Friday, January 27 during their Grand Opening Celebration.

The private event will feature the reveal of a plaque proclaiming the theater to be the John Hughes Cinema, which will read:

JOHN HUGHES CINEMA
Director John Hughes has left an indelible mark on our collective consciousness with witty, charming, and heartfelt films like SIXTEEN CANDLES, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, and PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES. In FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF, he perfectly captured the mischievous and carefree spirit of youth through one teen’s epic day playing hooky, cementing Chicago as a cinematic playground in the process. Because of his incalculable influence on cinema, as of Thursday, January 26th 2023, this Alamo Drafthouse Cinema shall hereby and forevermore be known as the John Hughes Cinema.

The late John Hughes’ son, James Hughes, will be in attendance for the event and will introduce a screening of the classic Hughes film FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF with Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse Founder and Executive Chairman.

“In 1984, I was fourteen and shared the same hairstyle, untucked Polos and braces as Anthony Michael Hall in 16 CANDLES. I maybe wasn’t the king of them at my school, but I was undeniably a dork,” says League. “The classic ‘80s John Hughes films hit me like a sledgehammer. For the first time, I experienced movies that truly understood my teenage experience and challenges. I am honored to be paying tribute to a revolutionary storyteller who both positively affected my life but also changed cinema forever.”

All six of Alamo Drafthouse Wrigleyville’s screens will be playing some of Hughes’ most beloved films, including: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Sixteen Candles”, “The Breakfast Club”, “Planes”, “Trains and Automobiles”, “Pretty in Pink”, and “Weird Science”. Each of the theaters will have exclusive merchandise themed around the films for guests to keep. A custom, John-Hughes-themed drink menu will also be available, with cocktails like the Save Ferris with Jameson Irish Whiskey and Jeppson’s Malört or the Pretty & Pink with Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The event will also be the first reveal of the cinema’s lobby photo op recreating the iconic moment from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” when Cameron sends his father’s 1961 Ferrari 250GT California flying through the window.

About Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Founded in 1997, Alamo Drafthouse has been heralded for unique programming events, great food and drinks, and high exhibition standards, earning accolades including “Best Theater Ever” by Time Magazine and “The Coolest Theater in the World” by Wired. A September 2018 Market Force Information survey of nearly 13,000 moviegoers across the country gave Alamo Drafthouse the #1 ranking for Favorite Movie Theater, Best Service, and all food and beverage-related categories.

Alamo Drafthouse provides a unique combination of theater and restaurant, showing first-run movies, independent films and special events with an extensive menu made from scratch. Guests order all food and drinks from servers who quietly attend to them throughout the movie from inside the theater. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the pre-show entertainment. Instead of a barrage of advertising, Alamo Drafthouse shows a curated collection of rare and humorous clips themed to each feature.

Additionally, Alamo Drafthouse protects the theatrical experience with a zero tolerance policy for people who disrupt the film with talking or texting. Alamo Drafthouse’s “Don’t Talk” PSAs have frequently received national attention, and have featured former Texas Governor Ann Richards, Jeff Goldblum and a velociraptor, Georgie from IT, THE ROOM director and star Tommy Wiseau, and one very angry voicemail.

About Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was founded in 1997 as a single-screen mom and pop repertory theater in Austin, TX. Twenty-six years later, with 39 locations and counting, Alamo Drafthouse has been called “the best theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly and “the best theater in the world” by Wired. Alamo Drafthouse has built a reputation as a movie lover’s oasis not only by combining best-in-class food and drink service with the movie-going experience, but also introducing unique programming and high-profile, star-studded special events. Alamo Drafthouse created Fantastic Fest, a world-renowned genre film festival dubbed “The Geek Telluride” by Variety featuring independents, international filmmakers, and major Hollywood studios. Alamo Drafthouse continues to expand its brand in new and exciting ways, including the American Genre Film Archive, a non-profit film archive dedicated to preserving, restoring and sharing film, and with eight new theaters announced for this year and beyond.