In Rome, cinema is attempting to reshape itself once again. It opened FCE Majestic, housed in the historic stables of Palazzo Odescalchi, overlooking Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, in the very heart of the capital. Rather than conforming to the traditional multiplex model, the project pursues a compact, intimate dimension and the possibility of turning a mere screening into a broader experience.
The idea, developed by BO Corp S.r.l. within First Class Entertainment, is to give back to the cinema hall a function that is not only cinematic, but also social and cultural: going to the cinema means entering a space, pausing, meeting other people, and living the evening before and after the film. A vocation particularly meaningful for a venue with a long history in show business, which in the twentieth century also hosted the Theatre of Art of Rome directed by Luigi Pirandello.
Two rooms, a boutique cinema atmosphere
The heart of Majestic lies in its two screening rooms with 32 and 46 seats, designed to foster a closer relationship with the screen than the scale of typical large cinema complexes. The technical equipment, however, aims at a high-end experience, with 4K Laser RGB projection, Dolby Atmos, 34 speakers per room, Wi‑Fi and 5G coverage. Completing the system are customized recliner seats, individual lighting, and solutions designed to keep even longer stays comfortable.
The difference from traditional viewing, however, does not lie solely in the equipment. The project extends part of the cinematic experience outside the screening room, through a lounge with a cocktail bar, where drinks, wines, sparkling wines, and a food offering are designed to accompany the audience from aperitif to after dinner. It is an approach that looks to the boutique cinema model: fewer spectators, greater attention to the environment, and an evening built around the film rather than limited to its projection.
A cinema that you can also “choose”
Another element that distinguishes FCE Majestic from more conventional programming is the ability to directly influence the offering. In addition to the main releases, the schedule includes previews, retrospectives, discussions and events, while through the dedicated app spectators can request private screenings of films already on the program or choose titles released in the last three years from a catalog activated on request.
The programming is therefore built also on the basis of the interest expressed by users, until a minimum number of participants is reached. On top of that, there are contents related to concerts, operas, exhibitions and live events through the catalog of Nexo Digital. A formula that, in the project’s intention, broadens the very concept of the cinema hall and makes it more flexible than a simple calendar of releases.
FCE Majestic: an experience to share
The most ambitious bet of Majestic, however, concerns its relationship with the audience. The project aims to become a meeting point between spectators and professionals, with premieres, conversations and appointments with directors, actors, screenwriters and other figures of the audiovisual industry. It is a perspective that seeks to recover a communal dimension of cinema, turning the room into a place where one can discuss and share what has just been seen.
For Marco Belardi, one of the promoters of the project together with Richard Borg, Luigi Borg and Francesco Bove, the goal is to build a true “living house of contemporary Italian cinema”. In this sense, the Majestic’s opening is not merely the reopening of a historic space: it is an attempt to propose, in the center of Rome, an alternative to the logic of the large commercial complex, focusing on intimacy, quality of viewing, hospitality and relationships.
A model that First Class Entertainment also envisions as potentially replicable in other Italian cities.
Below is the video of our visit to the FCE Majestic.
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