Sony Pictures is honoring the late filmmaker, John Singleton, by renaming one of its largest theaters on their movie lot after him.
The “John Singleton Theater” seats 102 people and is located on the shared Sony and Columbia Pictures lot in Culver City, California. Singleton’s children, Justice and Maasai, praised the renaming and recounted fond memories of visiting the lot with their father as children while he worked.
“We are so pleased that Sony Pictures will be honoring our father in this way,” the two said in a statement. “It is such a fitting tribute given the special place that Columbia Pictures was for him at the beginning of his career.”
Singleton’s first feature film, Boyz N the Hood was released by Sony under its Columbia Pictures label. With it, he became the youngest person and the first African American to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Director.
Tom Rothman, chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, shared: “As the first African American filmmaker to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, John broke a major barrier in our industry and inspired a generation. His vision and skill enriched the world with great film and television content and he leaves a tremendous legacy, especially here at Columbia Pictures.”
Singleton passed away in April at the age of 51 after suffering a stroke. The official dedication of the theater renaming is scheduled to take place later this summer.