Scientology Tied To EVO Entertainment’s Dolby Vision & Atmos EVX Theaters?

At the recent CinemaCon 2026 trade show in Las Vegas, Dolby Laboratories announced that EVO Entertainment plans to equip its EVX Premium Large Format auditoriums with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The EVO Entertainment and EVO Cinemas brands are owned by Austin-based Elevate Entertainment Group, which “creates boundary-pushing entertainment destinations that connect people through the power of shared experiences.” During the initial rollout, Dolby’s technologies will come to 17 screens across eight locations in Texas, New Mexico, and Florida. According to Dolby, many of these cinema entertainment centers are newly-built facilities “designed from the ground up to showcase next-generation presentation.” One planned development in Florida promises unprecedented cinematic scale, but the project’s ties to the Church of Scientology might come as a surprise to some movie-goers.

EVO Entertainment describes its EVX (Enhanced Viewing Experience) theaters as “the ultimate cinematic environment,” incorporating the very best in design and technology. Every EVX auditorium features a massive “wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling screen,” paired with state-of-the-art laser projection provided by Barco — the display tech company that recently made headlines with its acquisition of VerVent Audio Group, the parent company of Focal and Naim. EVO Entertainment’s most ambitious development to date is a planned $50 million entertainment destination in downtown Clearwater, in Florida’s Tampa Bay area. Designed to drive activity in the city center, the cinema-anchored project includes a seven-screen multiplex. One auditorium in the planned theater will feature a screen over 130 feet wide, making it the largest in the world, according to a press release from a group called Cleveland Street Alliance, which is spearheading the project.

If built, this 83,000 square-foot entertainment center will become EVO Entertainment’s flagship location, and will feature both laser tag and bowling in addition to movies. All auditoriums in the theater complex will reportedly feature both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, positioning the venue as a high-end theater experience. In fact, it would be the first in the world to have every auditorium feature both Dolby technologies.

Exhibitors like EVO Entertainment understand that superior picture and sound quality are more than technical specs, but what deepen audience connection to the films they love and keep them returning. When you combine Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, you create something truly special: an experience audiences proactively seek out again and again.

— Jed Harmsen, VP and GM of Cinema & Group Entertainment, Dolby Laboratories

This partnership with Dolby represents an exciting step forward in how we think about the future of cinema. Our new flagship EVO Entertainment venue in Clearwater will bring that vision to life — the first multiplex in the world powered entirely by Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and anchored by the largest cinema screen on earth spanning more than 130 feet. It’s a bold expression of our commitment to pushing the boundaries of the theatrical experience and delivering unforgettable, differentiated experiences for our guests.

— Mitch Roberts, Founder & CEO of Elevate Entertainment Group

Designed for both boutique theaters and nationwide chains, the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos solution gives exhibitors a flexible way to bring premium Dolby experiences to more moviegoers. Since 2014, the Dolby Cinema program (which is exclusive to AMC Theaters in the USA) has allowed theater owners to offer an upmarket experience featuring not only Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision laser projection, but also Dolby-designed seating, lighting, and decor. The less-strict Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos solution that EVO Entertainment has adopted began rolling out in 2024, giving exhibitors the ability to offer Dolby’s core technologies without converting auditoriums into full-fat Dolby Cinema venues.

According to Dolby, over 860 theatrical features have released or are confirmed to be released in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, including 20 of the highest grossing movies worldwide in 2025. But only a few hundred full Dolby Cinema theaters exist. Facilities like the proposed Clearwater project from EVO Entertainment could dramatically expand the footprint of Dolby’s tech in theaters around the world.

We are thrilled to bring EVO Entertainment to Clearwater and be part of this once-in-a-lifetime transformation taking shape in downtown Clearwater. From a cinema worthy of the global stage to a world-class family entertainment center, EVO Entertainment Clearwater will set a new standard for out-of-home entertainment — serving as a social destination for millions of guests across the region.

Scientology’s Expanding Control of Downtown Clearwater Raises New Concerns

The goal of drawing foot traffic to revitalize the downtown Clearwater area is a familiar one, and similar projects have been proposed in cities all over the United States, from Los Angeles to my hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina. But there may be more to the Clearwater project than meets the eye. According to WTSP, the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Tampa Bay area, the Cleveland Street Alliance group leading the Clearwater initiative is closely associated with the Church of Scientology, and is composed entirely of church members and their advisors. Those not from the area might be unaware that Scientology came to downtown Clearwater in the 1970s, and that its presence there has been growing ever since. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Church of Scientology bought a Clearwater hotel in 1975 and wrote plans to “take control of the city.” The church’s campus grew slowly over the first few decades, with members buying property on surrounding blocks. Now, scientologists from around the world make pilgrimages to the campus, called Flag, which serves as the international headquarters of the Church. In 2017, the rate of real-estate acquisition by the Church exploded, as companies controlled by parishioners began buying retail property at a breakneck pace, spending over $103 million to double the Church’s footprint in less than three years. Now, Scientology reportedly owns the majority of downtown Clearwater. Most of the commercial property on every block within walking distance of the waterfront is controlled by the Church, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The headquarters in Clearwater has become crucial to the survival of Scientology, which generates a significant portion of its income by hosting established followers at the campus. The Church reportedly collects millions of dollars every week through expensive courses and high-level religious counseling not offered anywhere else. Wealthy Scientologists who attend these courses all stay in hotels owned by the Church, and eat in associated restaurants, adding another source of revenue on top of official fundraising efforts. The Flag facility is said to be run by the Sea Org, a full-time workforce of Church members who sign billion-year contracts and work for next to nothing. Some former Scientologists who have defected from the Church claim they were paid less than $50 a week, and were expected to work around the clock.

The 2017 real-estate boom coincided with growing tensions between the Church and the Clearwater City Council. At the time, the Church of Scientology had proposed a $50 million development very similar to the current EVO Entertainment project, promising to attract new business into the empty storefronts that lined the city-owned beaches and surrounded the Church’s headquarters. But the Clearwater City Council had its own proposed redevelopment projects, and refused to play ball when the Church asked the city to refrain from bidding on a certain parcel of land. When the owners of said property sold it to the city for a fraction of what the Church had offered, the Church stopped communicating with the city and began its hostile takeover of downtown Clearwater property.

For decades, Scientology has bought up most of downtown Clearwater to achieve their goal of the first Scientology city. It’s a template they hope to use across America and around the world.

— Leah Remini, former Scientologist and outspoken critic of the Church of Scientology

As of the time of writing, the city of Clearwater had confirmed to news outlets that it had not yet received an official development application for the project, but right-of-way vacation applications had been submitted. (A right-of-way vacation application is a formal process to abandon public interest in a street, alley, or easement, returning the land to private use. It requires submitting a request to local public works or engineering departments, often requiring a site plan, title report, and high fees.) “Our executive team has seen initial concepts of the entertainment complex, and we are supportive of an entertainment venue that anchors all the other exciting projects happening in downtown,” the city wrote in a statement. The city of Clearwater provided the 10 Tampa Bay News station a copy of a letter it received from the Church of Scientology, outlining the organization’s plans for development.

Some critics of the Church, including actress Leah Remini, have stated that the Church has gained significant influence over both the Clearwater city council and local police. Critics also suggest that the Church is developing downtown Clearwater to solidify the city as an international spiritual mecca for Scientology, with the ultimate goal being to establish an autonomous “Scientology city.” Developments like the EVO Entertainment project, they say, are designed to attract wealthy Church members to the area, and to keep the money flowing into the Church’s coffers. It remains to be seen whether the average movie-goer interested in experiencing Dolby’s best cinema technology on the world’s largest screen will know or care about the Church’s involvement. Given Clearwater’s proximity to Audioholics’ headquarters in Tampa, it seems likely that Chief Audioholic Gene DellaSala will be able to report on the experience of seeing a movie at the massive facility, if it is built as planned. My question for you today is: do you take notice of who drives business development in your area, and what their motivations might be? Share your thoughts in the related forum thread below.