Toronto's most iconic movie theatre is about to close for a major glow-up

The beloved Cinesphere is to remain a feature within Doug Ford's controversial vision for Ontario Place, but the futuristic Toronto landmark will soon close its doors to undergo an extensive renovation.

Opened in 1971 with a bold design by legendary architect Eberhard Zeidler, the spherical cinema — home to the world's first permanent IMAX movie theatre — will close in mid-October for a restoration of its iconic dome.

We have some exciting news to share! Starting this fall, our beloved Cinesphere will undergo necessary dome improvements to bring it back to its original grand appearance on the Ontario Place waterfront!

— Ontario Place (@OntarioPlace) October 3, 2022

The Cinesphere's temporary curtain call comes on October 17, but the theatre will be going "out with a bang," showing two weekends of favourites before shutting down for the facelift.

Fans of action and sci-fi hits The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Inception, Blade Runner: 2049, Dune, and Arrival will want to catch these IMAX screenings.

To accommodate the transformation, Cinesphere will be temporarily closed as of October 17, 2022.

To ensure we end things off on a high note, for the next 2 WEEKENDS, we’re bringing audience favourites to our BIG SCREEN!

— Ontario Place (@OntarioPlace) October 3, 2022

This isn't the first time in the last decade the Cinesphere has closed its doors for restoration work.

The theatre closed in 2012 for a major overhaul and reopened five years later to much acclaim, but these upgrades mostly covered the theatre-going experience, like the installation of a new screen and sound system.

Work around the Cinesphere has actually been ongoing since spring, with Elite Construction and cultural heritage expert Stevens Burgess Architects overseeing repairs on Ontario Place's pods and the iconic globe-shaped theatre.

These elements of the project are set to continue throughout 2022 and 2023.