In 2005, Boulevard Cinemas opened on 200 C Street in Petaluma, with 12 theaters. Twenty-one years later, now with 14 theaters, totaling 775 seats, the place is ready for a new development: panoramic and IMAX screens and, coming soon, 4DX seats.
Boulevard Cinema 14 has been a landmark spot in downtown Petaluma for as long as anyone can remember. First, it was a drive-in movie theater, then a full-on, sit-down theater. It’s gone through too many changes to count, from layout to amenities and so on, the most recent of which is the upgrading of the former Auditoriums One and Two.
Up until the end of 2025, both theaters were enormous compared to the rest, but that was the most special thing about them. In December, though, Auditorium One was shut down and transformed into ScreenX.
ScreenX is a theater with a semi-panoramic view. According to movie theater Assistant Manager Callum Alves, “there are two added screens on the sides of the auditorium. With this, studios are able to expand the movie to make you feel like you’re really in it.”
Since then, movies like “Wuthering Heights,” “GOAT,” “Scream 7,” ” Hoppers,” “Project Hail Mary,” and ” The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” have all found their homes in the ScreenX theater at Boulevard Cinema 14. Thousands of guests have had the chance to watch a new movie within this format, completely new to town. A majority of responses have been positive, and more seats have been filling up since its addition.
But of course, the ingenuity doesn’t stop there. Just at the beginning of April, Auditorium Two shut down until May 15 to install an IMAX theater. IMAX is a format of viewing that basically makes the screen bigger. Alves says it has “a bigger screen, better quality, and better sound. The projector itself is different than your typical projector. It’s able to handle a lot more quality . . . our [IMAX] will be a bit smaller than normal.”
The theater has had to adapt to this change, in particular, changing the arrangement of emergency exit doors, taking out seats, and replacing speakers and curtains. It’s a big change, but one that will certainly be for the better. It’ll likely bring in more audience members, since the nearest IMAX theaters are in Concord and San Francisco. So, many more people will be able to access this amazing movie-viewing format now that it’s being installed right here in Petaluma!
“The Mandalorian and Grogu,” a film released on May 22, was specifically filmed for an IMAX format. Movies specifically filmed for IMAX, such as this film or the upcoming “The Odyssey,” directed by Christopher Nolan, are designed for a specific viewing experience. While they can be shown in traditional theaters, watching these movies in IMAX is an adventure unmatched by any other.
ScreenX and IMAX have already been installed, but the movie theater isn’t done expanding. In the coming months — date to be determined — 4Dx seats will be installed. 4Dx seats provide the most immersive experience possible for moviegoers: moving seats that spray water, scents, wind, snow, and other sensory involvement.
Alves says, “It’s a fun way to watch a movie with friends and family, and it will definitely be a hit . . . It’s kind of like a rollercoaster. You’re moving with the movie.”
Just like the IMAX theater, these 4Dx seats aren’t offered in many nearby locations. In fact, the only theaters within a reasonable distance that offer it are the Regal Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco and the Regal Hacienda Crossings in Dublin. Having such a thrilling experience right in the center of downtown Petaluma will, also like IMAX, boost ticket sales beyond anything the theater is seeing at the moment.
While certain films are bringing in huge crowds —”Project Hail Mary” and ” The Devil Wears Prada 2,” for example — the movie theater isn’t full of guests every weekend. These new ways to watch could change that and reinvigorate the CinemaWest Boulevard Cinema 14 and ScreenX theater, making it the cultural hub of Petaluma in the way only a movie theater can be.
