Marquee news

Massive EVO Entertainment venue will bring movies and bowling to Forney

EVO Entertainment will open a new venue in Forney in fall 2026.

EVO Entertainment Group/Facebook

A major new entertainment destination is coming to Forney: EVO Entertainment has broken ground on an 82,000-square-foot venue that will bring movies, dining, bowling, and games to the fast-growing North Texas city.

According to a release, it's slated to open in fall 2026 in the burgeoning The Village at Gateway development.

The new EVO Entertainment Forney will feature so many attractions, it calls for a bulleted list:

nine theaters, including one IMAX auditorium and two EVX auditoriums
a full-service bar and restaurant
an upper-level lounge area
event and conference spaces
22 bowling lanes
125+ arcade games
rock climbing walls
a multi-level ropes course
bumper cars
laser tag

A January 20 groundbreaking event brought together community leaders, development partners, and local stakeholders to turn the first dirt.

“In Forney, we talk a lot about ‘Forney Family,’ and that spirit truly matters here,” said Forney City Council member Zahnd Schlensker in a statement. “EVO embodies that same sense of family ... This project is about honoring the past while creating a place where new memories will be made for generations to come.”

EVO Entertainment has a connection to Forney: Company CEO Mitchell Roberts' grandfather Lee Roy Mitchell was founder and former chairman of the board of Cinemark and a Forney native who, the release says, "helped shape the modern cinema industry —making EVO’s return to the city a meaningful full-circle moment."

Forney is a fast-growing city in Kaufman County, about 21 miles east of Dallas. It will soon be home to North Texas' newest H-E-B supermarket.

Forney's Kaufman County neighbor of Crandall had the second-hottest U.S. ZIP code for movers at the end of 2025.

The area is one of North Texas' biggest "boomtowns."

movies forney openings

Rivers wild

Ethan Hawke narrates new documentary that deep-dives into Texas rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

One Texas film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born in Austin and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

animals documentaries ecology ethan hawke film matthew mcconaughey movies nature texas wildlife