Movies - Pathé BNP Paribas: When the magic of cinema meets the mark of a banking giant in the heart of Paris

By Mulder, 30 april 2025

Pathé BNP Paribas: When the magic of cinema meets the mark of a banking giant in the heart of Paris
April 30, 2025, 8:12 a.m.

There are certain addresses in Paris that embody the elegance of the past and the promise of a bright future. This is precisely what 32 rue Louis Le Grand, now renamed Pathé BNP Paribas, represents. More than just a name engraved on the front of a cinema, it represents a unique partnership between two institutions with deep roots in French culture: Pathé, a historic pillar of cinema exhibition, and BNP Paribas, a discreet but essential patron of the seventh art for over a century. By signing this agreement, the bank is taking a symbolic step: for the first time, it is lending its name to a cinema, fully embracing its place in the world of film. This is more than just a marketing ploy—it is a declaration of love for movie theaters at a time when they are seeking to win back the hearts of audiences.

The opening of this venue, formerly Pathé Opéra Premier, is not just a reopening in Paris's 2nd arrondissement: it marks the inauguration of a new home for film lovers. Completely renovated and designed down to the smallest detail, Pathé BNP Paribas offers five ultra-comfortable theaters, whose red velvet reclining seats evoke the cozy atmosphere of a high-end neighborhood cinema, but with the best of modern technology: latest-generation laser projectors, optimized acoustics, and breathtaking image quality. This is less about projection than it is about a sensory experience, a total immersion in the world of film. And the venue is not aimed solely at the elite or those in the know. On opening day, BNP Paribas offered the first 1,000 seats free of charge, a powerful, almost militant gesture in favor of cultural accessibility—a welcome nod to an era when theater prices can sometimes discourage younger generations.

This cinema is also becoming a real laboratory of ideas and passion, designed to host exclusive BNP Paribas events, including previews, meetings between creators and the public, and activities organized by its community of film fans, welovecinema. For those who have been following this committed platform for years, Pathé BNP Paribas could well become a new home. Behind the scenes, there are already rumors that certain directors would love to organize their next private screenings here, as the venue impresses with its elegant simplicity and functionality. The space seems designed not only to show films, but to celebrate them in an almost intimate atmosphere that is rare in the heart of Paris.

For Pathé, this alliance with BNP Paribas is also significant. It confirms its desire to anchor its theaters in a modern and inclusive vision of cinema, where every viewer—whether a regular customer, an enthusiast, or simply curious—can find their place. The enthusiasm of Laure De Boissard, Managing Director of Pathé Cinémas France, speaks volumes: this is a total commitment, a passion shared with the bank that already finances one in two films produced in France. This statistic, often unknown to the general public, testifies to BNP Paribas' profound influence behind the scenes of the silver screen. By now associating itself with a physical location, this influence becomes tangible, visible, and above all, experienced.

In the current context, where theaters are trying to reinvent themselves in the face of streaming platforms, Pathé  BNP Paribas appears to be a bold and poetic response. This is not just a cinema: it is a manifesto. A manifesto for the cinema as a place for collective emotions, wonder, and sharing. We can already imagine the queues at the time of major releases, the passionate debates after the screenings, and young film lovers discovering their first film on the big screen. On reflection, this partnership could well mark a new chapter in the history of cinema in France—a chapter written by two hands, those of a visionary cinema operator and a bank that has never stopped believing in the power of the big screen.

Photos : Copyright Frederic Berthet pour Pathe BNP Paribas

(Source: press release)