Nestled in the quiet shady streets of uptown New Orleans, the Prytania Theatre has been a fixture in the film-loving community since the day it opened in 1915. When the theatre originally opened, it was one of dozens of neighborhood theatres in the city but over time as the rest fell out of business, only the Prytania remained. It’s survived 2 major fires, hurricanes, tropical storms, and flood waters, not to mention the transition from silent films to “talkies,” and the advent of television, cable, and streaming. Our continued existence is nothing short of miraculous. 

As you walk through the doors of the Prytania, you’ll find yourself in a living piece of New Orleans history; a cozy lobby bathed in warm light cast by chandeliers, walls covered in upcoming movie posters, hand-painted marquees, memorabilia, and complete with a concessions stand, full service bar, and coffee station. Beyond the double doors in the lobby is the cavernous auditorium, boasting a seating capacity of 204 floor seats and 16 balcony recliners. Though extensively renovated over the years and featuring a state of the art projection and sound system, painstaking care has been taken to maintain the vintage charm that’s attracted audiences for over 100 years. To quote an ad placed in the Times Picayune in 1927, “The New Prytania Theatre will have a personality people will feel friendly to– Well dressed, well mannered, with somewhere in the background a sense of humor…The New Prytania Theatre will be a community center where people can sit around and let their imagination go.” In short, the Prytania is, and has always been, a place that strives to be simultaneously transportive and intimate, where anyone walking through the doors feels comfortable sinking into a seat and letting their imagination go.

To list all of the things that make this theatre so special would be an impossible task, but here is an abbreviated list: Our weekly classic movie series on Sunday and Wednesday mornings, monthly late-night Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings with a live shadow cast, 35mm and 70mm film screenings, and a rolling calendar of special events including the French Film Festival, Overlook Film Festival, holiday programming, Academy Awards watch party, and many more. Recently, we were one of only 5 theatres in the world chosen to screen a 70mm film print of Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners; we were also used by Mr. Coogler during the creation of Sinners when he came to Prytania to run testing to determine what kind of film stock to use for the film. We’ve been voted New Orleans’ favorite theatre dozens of times by various local publications, and have had almost as many movie stars in our seats as we’ve had on screen! 

For over 25 years, the Prytania has been proudly operated by the Brunet family, generations of whom have been in the New Orleans theatre business since 1908, when Rene Brunet Sr. opened his first Nickelodeon theatre, followed quickly by the Harlequin in 1913 and the Imperial Theatre in 1922. When he passed away in 1946, his son Rene Jr. took over the family business and spent nearly every day of the rest of his life in New Orleans’ independent moviehouses. Even at 95 years old he could often be found in the lobby of the Prytania, clad in one of his many movie-themed ties, tearing tickets and regaling guests with film trivia or stories from the heyday of New Orleans’ independent theatre scene. Under the care of Rene Brunet Jr., the Prytania Theatre was able to survive into the 21st century, while each of the final remaining independent neighborhood theatres in the city closed or transitioned away from screening films. Today, the Prytania is operated by Rene’s son Robert, and on any given day you’ll find 3 generations of Brunets on site, working in the office, running around the lobby, or enjoying a Sunday morning classic movie, continuing the family legacy that began more than a century ago.

Come visit us soon! Sit around and let your imagination go!