september on the rooftop

Houston's rooftop cinema reveals diverse September lineup, dog day, and a Potter party

Rooftop Cinema Club Houston night skyline

Expect a Potter party, dog-friendly screening, and a diverse showcase of films.

Photo by Rooftop Cinema Club Houston

As the weather cools (ever so slightly), locals flock to al fresco offerings to savor the great outdoors. And for film fans, that means outdoor movies.

Houston’s first Rooftop Cinema Club has unveiled its new September lineup, which pays homage to diversity, strong, female-led casts, and Black Cinema, as well as anniversary screenings, a Potter party, and a dog-friendly special event.

With the sun setting earlier over the Uptown skyline at Rooftop’s BLVD Place location, the venue’s double features return every Friday and Saturday night beginning September 7. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 28.

Diversity takes center stage this month, with films such as Eve’s Bayou on September 7; Beyond the Lights on September 14; Boomerang on September 20; and Love Jones on September 26; as well as Selena on September 4, and La Bamba September 29.

Film buffs can expect some big anniversaries: The Notebook celebrates 15 years, Pulp Fiction turns 25, and Road House (a CultureMap favorite) celebrates its 30th.

Potter fans, take note: Due to massive demand, the cinema club will host a 15th anniversary screening of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on September 12. The venue will be decked out in Potter décor, special Hogwarts menu items will be served, and guests can find their seats based on their Potter-themed “house.” Of course, moviegoers are encouraged to dress as their favorite Potter characters.

Sunday, September 22, sees the rooftop transform to Wooftop Cinema Club for Secret Life of Pets 2. For this screening only, expect a dog-friendly setting for fans to show off their pooches, particularly in their favorite superhero outfits for fun and prizes. The club will also offer a ceremony for any dog owners wanting to “marry” their pets. (Yes, it’s a thing.)

Fans can expect a return of the rooftop cinema’s sing-along nights, with chances to belt out choruses to fun flicks such as Rocketman.

As previously mentioned, tickets for the September lineup go on sale online Wednesday, August 28. To paraphrase ’80s icon Ferris Bueller (and CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler): Tickets move pretty fast: If you don’t stop and look, you could miss them.

Prices start at $17 per person for a one-person lounge seat. A single-person seat with the addition of bottomless popcorn is $20. Tickets for couples, or a roomier love seat, plus bottomless popcorn, are $24 per person. New for spring is a student discount ticket starting at $15.30, with valid ID required the night of the event.

As always, the cinema will serve up movie grub from Good Dog Houston, which offers three dogs: the Picnic Dog, the Uptown Dog, and The Dude. Additional fare includes fruit and cheese plates, Frito pie, and chili cheese nachos. Adult beverages include a full bar with craft cocktails, local beer options, and an assortment of wines.

Here is the full September movie lineup, which features screenings every night and double features every Friday and Saturday night in September. Doors open nightly at 6:30 pm; the show starts at 7:30pm and 9:45pm for double screenings and 8 pm for all other nights.

September 1 – The Who’s Tommy
September 2 – Point Break
September 3 – Notting Hill (20th anniversary)
September 4 – Selena
September 5 – Jason’s Lyric (25th anniversary)
September 7 – The Princess Bride and Eve's Bayou
September 8 – 10 Things I Hate About You (20th anniversary)
September 9 – Thelma & Louise
September 10 – A Star Is Born
September 11 – Bohemian Rhapsody
September 12 – Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban (15th anniversary and theme night)
September 13 – Grease (sing-along) and Aladdin (2019)
September 14 – Booksmart and Beyond the Lights
September 15 – Funny Face and Us
September 16 – The Notebook (15th anniversary)
September 17 – Crazy Stupid Love
September 18 – Pulp Fiction (25th anniversary)
September 19 – Rocketman
September 20 – The Sandlot and Boomerang
September 21 – Sister Act and The Goonies
September 22 – Secret Life of Pets 2 (Wooftop theme)
September 23 – A Star Is Born
September 24 – Pretty Woman
September 25 – Bohemian Rhapsody (sing-along)
September 26 – Love Jones
September 27 – The Breakfast Club and Aladdin (2019)
September 28 – Dirty Dancing and Road House (30th anniversary)
September 29 – La Bamba
September 30 – Rocketman

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Rooftop Cinema Club is located at BLVD Place above Whole Foods, 1700 Post Oak Blvd. For tickets and information, visit the official site.

movies

HOWDY, DOCTORS

Grey's Anatomy spins off new medical drama led by Houston-born showrunner

Photo via Meg Marinis/Instagram

Showrunner Meg Marinis poses with actor Kevin McKidd, who recently exited Grey's Anatomy after more than a decade playing Dr. Owen Hunt.

ABC is bringing the Grey's Anatomy universe to Texas with a new one-hour rural medical drama co-created by longtime showrunner Meg Marinis. Marinis was born in Houston and is an alum of both the Kinkaid School and the University of Texas at Austin.

According to an exclusive report from Deadline, which production company Shondaland shared on social media, the untitled series has received a straight-to-series order from ABC and will follow a team at a rural West Texas medical center described as “the last chance for care before miles of nowhere.”

The series marks the first Grey’s Anatomy franchise show set outside the West Coast, and it's the first that's not centered around an existing main character from the original series.

The new drama will be co-created by Shonda Rhimes and Marinis, who has spent nearly two decades working on Grey’s Anatomy. She joined the series during its third season as a production assistant before rising through the ranks to become a researcher, writer, executive producer, and now showrunner.

"This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that will embody the same heart, emotion, and connection audiences have loved from Grey’s for more than two decades, all set in my home state of Texas,” Marinis said in a statement announcing the series. "I am so grateful to Shonda Rhimes for creating this dynamic world and feel so fortunate that I get to be a part of it.”

Marinis’ path to running one of television’s biggest franchises started in Austin. In an interview with Shondaland last year, she recounted moving to Los Angeles during her final semester at UT through the university’s UTLA entertainment program, which allows students to complete coursework while interning in the industry. While finishing school, she interned at Universal before landing a production assistant role on Grey’s Anatomy in 2006.

Marinis has also woven Texas experiences into the flagship series itself in recent years. According to Deadline, she personally knew families affected by the Camp Mystic tragedy and rewrote part of a recent Grey’s Anatomy episode after becoming emotional while working on the script.

The West Texas setting is particularly timely, as rural healthcare access remains a growing issue across the state. According to the Texas Hospital Association, more than 20 rural Texas hospitals have closed since 2010, while roughly a quarter of the state’s remaining rural hospitals are considered at risk of closure.

By centering the new series on what ABC describes as “the last chance for care before miles of nowhere,” the franchise could bring national attention to healthcare access challenges facing communities across West Texas and other rural parts of the state.

The new series joins a long lineage of Texas-set television dramas, though not all were actually filmed in the state. Grey’s Anatomy itself is famously set in Seattle while primarily filmed in the Los Angeles area. Friday Night Lights became closely associated with Austin through extensive local filming, while series like Dallas often recreated Texas from California sound stages, with exteriors of Southfork Ranch serving as the Ewings' fictitious home. Walker, Texas Ranger, meanwhile, became one of the best-known examples of a network drama heavily filmed across Texas itself.

Even after more than 20 years on the air, Grey’s Anatomy remains one of television’s most durable franchises. According to ABC, the drama is now the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history and continues to rank among the network’s strongest scripted performers.

Ellen Pompeo, who stars as Dr. Meredith Grey in the original series, is attached as an executive producer, and the new drama is expected to premiere in 2027.

tv shows health hospitals

september on the rooftop

Houston's rooftop cinema reveals diverse September lineup, dog day, and a Potter party

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HOWDY, DOCTORS

Grey's Anatomy spins off new medical drama led by Houston-born showrunner