Iconic “Cobb” Signage Comes Down as Tuscaloosa’s Movie Theater Gets Facelift

Tuscaloosa's go-to movie theater is sporting a new look after its iconic Cobb 16 signage came down last week.

The Druid City cineplex opened on Skyland Boulevard in 2004 as the Cobb Hollywood 16 and for nearly two decades, its vertical signage has been immediately identifiable to residents of and visitors to the area.

In 2017, though, the Cobb brand was purchased by CMX Cinemas, which is a subsidiary of Mexico's Cinemex chain. The Tuscaloosa theater was renamed CMX Cinemas Hollywood 16 & IMAX, but the old sign remained up despite the change in ownership.

Those days came to an end last week, more than four years after the acquisition made the old name outdated.

Workers took down the Cobb sign last Wednesday and returned this week to get new CMX branding in place.

The theater's general manager did not return a request for comment on the signage change this week, but another staff member told the Thread the change is only cosmetic in nature and business will continue as usual at the Hollywood 16.

Like many entertainment-focused venues, the theater has struggled throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and nearly faced eviction last year over unpaid rent, but the city's only major movie theater appears to have come out on the other side of its problems and staff there is excited this week about the prospects of Marvel Studio's upcoming superhero blockbuster "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." 

The movie is set for an early May release, but workers at the Hollywood 16 said presale tickets are available now and if the success of Marvel's previous hits offer any indication, they will likely be in high demand.

With the new signage in place this week, cinephiles marked the end of an era at the Tuscaloosa facility that many still lovingly know as the Cobb Theatre.