After a 35-year-old ban on cinemas was lifted, Saudi Arabia has started screening feature-length animated children's films this weekend in a makeshift movie theatre.
The first permanent cinemas should be opening in March, Reuters reports, but in the meantime authorities are sponsoring temporary theatres like the state-run cultural hall in Jeddah, which is equipped with a projector, red carpet and even a popcorn machine.
Films will still censored to make sure they remain in line with Saudi Arabia's 'moral values' - but one of the first to make it through the net was The Emoji Movie, the 2017 stonker that featured the voices of James Cordon, Anna Faris and T.J. Miller.
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The development is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's liberalising reform drive, which has already made strides by opening the door for concerts, comedy shows and women drivers in the past year.
"Until now, there is no infrastructure for movie theaters, so we are trying to take advantage of (alternative) venues to approximate the cinematic form," said Mamdouh Salim of Cinema 70 , which organised the week-long screenings.
"We tried to use these films to be a starting point as the first cinematic screening after the decision on Dec. 11 to permit movie theaters."
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After watching The Emoji Movie with his wife and daughter, 28-year-old Sultan al-Otaibi told Reuters that Saudis are enjoying being able to watch films at cinemas rather than at home.
"It's more comfortable, more fun to have a change of scenery and an activity on the weekend," he said. "It is a step that was very late in coming but thank God it's happening now.
"I want to see everything because it is something new for Saudi," said another movie-goer, 30-year-old Ibtisam Abu Talib.
"I hope everything is available - action, romance, children's films, comedy. Everything, God willing."
Cinemas were originally banned back in the early 1980s, when Saudi society moved towards a more conservative form of religion that did not condone public entertainment or public mixing of men and women.
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But now reforms have eased restrictions, as the government aims to broaden the economy and minimise its dependency on oil.
Thousands of Saudis currently have to travel to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and other countries for their entertainment - a market that the government hopes to now tap into to retain the money usually spent on those trips.
It's expected that 300 cinemas with 2,000 screens will be open by 2030, creating what is hoped to contribute more than 90 billion riyals ($24bn/£17bn) to the economy. It's also thought that the cinema expansion should create 30,000 permanent jobs.
Who knew The Emoji Movie could have such historical, societal and cultural significance, eh?
Featured Image Credit: Columbia PicturesTopics: Saudi Arabia, Entertainment News, World News, Film, Entertainment, TV and Film, News