Queens New York Drive-In returns for 2021 with screenings of Coming 2 America, Fist of Fury, North by Northwest and more

Rooftop Films, the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), and the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) today announced the return of the Queens Drive-In at New York’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. A collaborative project between the three organizations, the Queens Drive-In hosted more than 80 sold-out events during the summer and fall of 2020, including dozens of New York City and world premieres, many of which featured in-person and live-streamed appearances by filmmakers and stars.

Among New York City drive-in experiences that opened in the past year, the Queens Drive-In offers one of the largest screens with a capacity of 200 cars and high-quality DCP projection. The 2020 series included more than twenty free community events, raised thousands of dollars for local community organizations, and provided work for hundreds of employees and local food vendors, making it a vital resource for the community and providing a rare opportunity to gather and celebrate the arts as the neighborhood rebounded from the pandemic.

The 2021 spring season will run March to June 2021, kicking off on Friday, March 5th with a special screening of Amazon and Eddie Murphy’s highly anticipated sequel Coming 2 America, coinciding with the film’s release on Prime Video. The event is free and open to the public with RSVP, and attendees will receive free food and merchandise courtesy of Amazon Studios. The event is co-presented by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who will also be onsite to introduce the film and celebrate the reopening of the Drive-In.

A portion of public ticket sales from the Queens Drive-In will be donated to Plaza Del Sol Family Health Center, a not-for-profit health care center serving the community in Corona, Queens. Plaza del Sol is part of Urban Health Plan, a health system of federally qualified community health centers based in the Bronx, Corona, Queens and Central Harlem.

With the support of the Office of the Queens Borough President, there will be free screenings for the community at the Queens Drive-In, as well as additional free tickets to most programs made available to residents of Corona and Elmhurst via local community organizations.

Programming will continue throughout the spring with new and classic films curated by Museum of the Moving Image and Rooftop Films. Events will include more than a dozen double features, including playful pairings of urban dystopias Escape from New York and RoboCop; the chaotic adolescence of Dazed and Confused and Fast Times at Ridgemont High; the groundbreaking Shaft and Boyz n the Hood; Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury vs. Meiko Kaji in Lady Snowblood; classic action capers North by Northwest and From Russia with Love; Rocky and Creed; beloved tales of female independence Desperately Seeking Susan and Thelma & Louise; and, song-and-dance standard-bearers from two different eras: Singin’ in the Rain and Magic Mike XXL.

There will also be regular screenings of beloved family films, including Labyrinth; Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; a Babe/Babe: Pig in the City double feature; and an opening weekend presentation of The Muppets Take Manhattan. Additional classics will include Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, David Lynch’s Dune, the Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski, and a screening of Your Name, one of the most popular anime films of all time. The Queens Drive-In will also be presenting four screenings focused on public health–related themes, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, starting with Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys preceded by a documentary addressing issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced by a public health expert.