Scott Beck and Bryan Woods dropped their latest film Monday morning, April 10.
The critically acclaimed moviemakers (and Bettendorf natives) posted a 78-second video on social media promoting the recent groundbreaking for The Last Picture House. Their dream movie theater is transforming an old industrial building at 325 E. 2nd St., Davenport.
The Last Picture House will be “a haven for cinephiles, offering two screens showcasing first run films, classics, cult pictures, family movies and 35mm prints alongside a social lounge, rooftop screening space, and a movie prop art gallery,” Beck and Woods posted Monday. “We can’t wait to open doors and welcome everyone inside later this year.”
“When you look around, it still takes some imagination, but the high ceilings, the ability to put state-of-the-art technology and giant screens on the walls – to have movies playing outside underneath the stars, it all kind of fits naturally into the architecture,” Scott Beck said in the video.
“It’s been incredible, working with so many talented people – the people at Twin Shores, Pete and Jens, everybody coming together, collaborating on this project, helping our dreams come true,” Bryan Woods said. “As two guys who’ve been traveling the world visiting different movie theaters, taking notes and trying to think about what would be an amazing space here in our hometown, seeing the blueprints.
“We’re blown away by all the work that’s come together, what everybody’s brought to this project thus far,” he said. “It’s incredible.”
The co-owners of the project are Pete Stopulos and Jens Baker, and general contractor is East Moline-based Twin Shores, a national commercial construction and development company. It has completed $1 billion in construction projects in 44 states. Over nearly 20 years, Twin Shores has completed more than 120 movie theater projects across 32 states.
Twin Shores will be overseeing the renovation of the building. Paradigm Design is the architecture and engineering firm. The 8,700-square-foot building located in Davenport’s Motor Row and Industrial Historic District will be transformed into a two-story movie theater including two state-of-the-art viewing screens, a cocktail bar and social lounge, and a rooftop bar featuring an additional screen for outdoor viewings when weather permits.
Construction and renovation of the building begins this month and is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
“Bryan Woods and I have always dreamed of opening a world-class movie theater in our hometown,” Beck said in a Monday press release. “We’ve designed The Last Picture House to be a cinematic oasis in the Midwest that caters to cinephiles, casual movie-goers, and families alike.”
“We’re thrilled to bring a theater to downtown Davenport that is inspired by our favorite cinemas around the world,” Woods said in the release. “We’ve spent years orchestrating a creative space to host special industry guests, showcase movie art and props, rooftop screenings along the Mississippi, and curate unique events that otherwise would feel at home in an entertainment mecca like Los Angeles.”
“I’m proud to help return to Davenport the theater experience that my grandfather, Jim Stopulos, tried to create at the Coronet all those years ago. This will be another cool venue to add to the landscape of downtown that can be enjoyed by all who live in and visit the Quad City area,” said co-owner Pete Stopulos.
Twin Shores’ principal and owner Todd Friemel said: “It is tremendously gratifying to work in our local market alongside critically acclaimed filmmakers and QC natives, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. After building hundreds of entertainment facilities all over the United States, Twin Shores is thrilled to have the opportunity to help bring such a unique and exciting new business to our own Quad Cities community.”
The Last Picture House was awarded a Destination Iowa grant for $600,000 to support the $3.7-million project. Destination Iowa is a federally funded state grant program geared toward projects promoting destination-building and tourism.
The latest Beck & Woods major motion picture, “65,” premiered nationwide last month. In the 93-minute Sony Pictures sci-fi thriller starring Adam Driver (at which Beck & Woods introduced March 11, at a sold-out Davenport Cinemark show), after a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth — 65 million years ago.
Now, with only one chance at a rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa, must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures.
To track the status of The Last Picture House, check its Facebook page HERE.
