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Alamo Drafthouse Cinema picks popular Austin suburb for area's newest theater

Alamo Drafthouse is heading north.

No longer will Cedar Parkians (is that what y'all are called?) have to trek to Lakeline to get a flicks fix or indulge in the best darn buffalo cauliflower wings this side of the Mississippi. According to a November 30 press release, Alamo Drafthouse Cedar Park, located at the corner of Parmer Lane and Ranch Trails, will open in summer 2020.

In addition to 10 screens, 950 luxe recliners, and more than 40 craft beers on tap, the Cedar Park Alamo will also feature Austin's first Big Show theater, a concept "that utilizes a gigantic screen and top-of-the-line presentation technology."

The new movie theater — the chain's seventh in Austin and 36th overall — will anchor the Presidio Cedar Park, a massive, 200-acre mixed-use development. This news officially kicks off the second phase of the master development plan which includes an additional 45,000 square feet of retail space.

“Our intent for Presidio is to be a true, mixed-use walkable environment — and there’s no better anchor for that intention than an Alamo Drafthouse,” said Stephen Swan, development partner at Riverside Resources, in a release.

It's also a major win for the city of Cedar Park, which began courting the Alamo Drafthouse in 2009. According to a joint release from developers Riverside Resources and Cordova Real Estate Ventures, a $1.5 million incentive package deal to bring the theater to North Austin suburb was reached in May.

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Their Universe

Documentary about BTS fandom follows SXSW premiere with worldwide release

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

BTS has one of the most dedicated fan bases in the world. (Photo taken at the 2022 Grammy Awards)

Four-and-a-half months after its world premiere at South By Southwest in Austin, the documentary Forever We Are Young is getting a worldwide release. The film follows fans of the South Korean boy band BTS, a group with stratospheric success nationwide and an "ARMY" of 90 million devotees. The feature-length film will be cinemas worldwide for limited screenings beginning Wednesday, July 30.

Although the "ARMY" concept is not an uncommon way to refer to a large fan base, in this case it stands for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth. And BTS fans are famously mobilized, not just enjoying the band but constantly organizing their ranks and making efforts to increase the band's impressive influence.

"Defying stereotypes of pop fans as screaming teens, ARMY is an intergenerational, culturally savvy, and socially active movement that is as diverse as the world itself," says a press release announcing the wide release. "The film captures the powerful spirit of activism and collectivity that make ARMY a symbol of hope and unity in our ever-fractured world."

The film was made by award-winning directors Grace Lee and Patty Ahn, respectively a documentarian and a scholar of contemporary Korean and Korean American cultural history, although both have overlapping experience. The filmmakers met fans at a convention in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville, Texas; a dance teacher in Seoul; and ARMY members whose love goes all the way back to the band's debut in 2013.

“There is no BTS without ARMY and no ARMY without BTS," said the filmmakers in a joint statement. "We’re excited for audiences to go on an emotional journey and meet a fandom that made us laugh, cry, and think. We were constantly moved by the fans’ power, resilience, creativity and humor and hope audiences will be too."

Unsurprisingly for people who know the BTS ARMY and South by Southwest, this movie sold out at its premiere and earned standing ovations. It later had premieres in Copenhagen, Mexico, Hawaii, and Los Angeles.

Fans may jump on tickets fast when they go on sale beginning Wednesday, July 2, at btsarmymovie.com. Some theaters will offer branded concessions and the website will offer official movie posters. There is currently no public information available about which cities and theaters will participate in screenings.

“Trafalgar Releasing has been honored to bring BTS concerts and films to ARMY over the last eight years creating special moments in communities worldwide,” said Kymberli Frueh, SVP of content acquisitions and programming at Trafalgar Releasing, the company handling the release. “The global impact of BTS is undeniable, not just as artists, but as a cultural movement. We are proud to bring this film to big screens across the globe to celebrate the impact of the fans themselves who have supported BTS every step of the way.”

The timing of the release coincides with a major milestone for the band: As of Wednesday, June 25, all members of the band will have completed their mandatory military service for South Korea. That means the group is expected to reunite sometime this year.

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