Purists will no doubt assail the new owners of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre for allowing three guys in Chipmunk costumes and French DJ David Guetta to joint the handprint and footprint parade this year. But get used to it.

Although co-owner Donald Kushner is upfront in an an LA Times article by Amy Kaufman about the fact that the Alvin and another, similar Smurfs ceremony in 2011 was “mock,” with the cartoon star slabs slated to be housed in a secondary location, he and partner Elie Samaha are looking to add many more people to the cement:

Kushner revealed that Grauman’s is in preliminary talks with boxer Muhammad Ali and is also speaking with the family of Michael Jackson about a square that could use the imprints of a shoe and glove the pop star donned in some of his music videos.

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It’s no secret that Hollywood can be a bit careless with its own history, but this one shocked even us cynics. Warner Bros. and Viacom Inc. are selling Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, maybe cause the Harry Potter franchise didn’t make them enough money or something. The buyers are Elie Samaha and Don Kushner, a couple of film producers who, rumor has it, have some frightening plans for the historical Hollywood landmark.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Several Hollywood sources said they had heard that the new owners are considering turning the theater, which has 1,152 seats, into a nightclub. It’s worth noting that Samaha has interests in two historic Hollywood Boulevard movie theaters that have recently been transformed into nightlife venues: the Fox Theatre and Vogue Theatre.

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