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Megacircuit Also Announces Santa Fe 14-Plex Regal Launches Oregon 11-Plex KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Regal Entertainment Group (REG) on Oct. 27 formally opened the doors of its Lancaster Mall Stadium 11-plex, situated near the corner of Lancaster Drive and D Street in Salem, Ore. Immediately prior to the opening, the site played host to three days of events to benefit local charities, offering $1 movies, $1 popcorn and $1 soft drinks. “I am confident moviegoers in the Willamette Valley will be impressed with what we have to offer at the new Regal Cinemas Lancaster Mall Stadium 11. This state-of-the-art theatre in Salem will provide an impeccable film presentation and an outstanding moviegoing experience,” stated Dick Westerling, senior vice president of marketing and advertising for REG. The circuit also announced in October plans for a Santa Fe, N.M., 14-plex in the San Isidro Plaza on Cerrillos Road near Zafarano Drive. Expected to open in the first quarter of 2007, the 2,200-seat, 52,000-square-foot New Mexico site will offer stadium-style high-back rocker seats with retractable cupholder armrests, advanced and online ticketing and automated ticket-purchasing kiosks. “This state-of-the-art theatre will be the first to provide stadium seating in the Santa Fe area,” commented Westerling. “Regal is confident that moviegoers will be truly impressed with the new Santa Fe Stadium 14.” The largest motion picture exhibitor in the world, Knoxville, Tenn.-based REG operates 6,383 screens at 542 sites in 40 states and the District of Columbia under the names Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres. Marketing & Concessions Exec Cleveland Cinemas Promotes Huffman CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland Cinemas on Oct. 6 named David Huffman its new director of marketing and concessions. An employee of the circuit since 2004, Huffman was previously director of concessions and film presentation. He was formerly employed by Regal Cinemas as a theatre manager. “We are excited to have David take over this new role in our company,” stated Cleveland Cinemas founder and president Jonathan Forman. “He is creative, thoughtful and energetic and will continue to play a vital role in our organization.” Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the circuit operates 61 screens at seven sites. Arkansas 12-Plex Launched In October Rogers Malco Over & Out ROGERS, Ark. – Malco Theatres opened on Oct. 4 its new 12-plex in the Northwest Arkansas city of Rogers. Part of the Pinnacle Hills Promenade at the northeast corner or Perry Road and I-540, it is the first Malco site fully equipped to project features digitally in all of its auditoria. Circuit officials note the new cinema, which boasts stadium-style rocker seats and wall-to-wall screens, has room enough to expand to 16 screens at a later date. In addition to a courtyard-themed lobby with a fountain, the 12-plex features a video arcade with Internet access, online and advanced ticketing, and accommodations for business rentals and birthday parties. The site’s Cinema Café coffee bar serves specialty drinks in a fireside setting while an expanded concessions menu offers pizza, pretzels and ice cream. The new site celebrated its opening with two days of special events, offering $1 movies and 50-cent soft drinks, with proceeds benefiting the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Memphis, Tenn.–based Malco currently operates 303 screens at 35 sites throughout the South. The circuit is in the midst of expansion, with projects under construction in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Florida.

Fall Launch In Colombia Bogotá Gets Cinemark 6-Plex BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Cinemark International opened on Sept. 22 a 6-plex in the Plaza Imperial Center, part of the Suba district of Bogotá, Colombia’s capital city. The new 1,425-seat 27,000-square-foot facility features 23-inch seats with retractable cupholder armrests, stadium-style seating and wall-to-wall screens. “Plaza Imperial is an exciting concept that is sure to attract the people of Bogotá,” stated Tim Warner, president of Cinemark International. “A Cinemark theater is the perfect addition to this complex.” Cinemark, based in Plano, Texas, currently operates 3,435 screens in 33 states and 13 countries outside the United States.   Circuit Plans To Open First New Build Next Year In Shelby Township New Detroit-Area Multi For Phoenix SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Phoenix Theatres announced on Aug. 17 plans to open a new cinema in Shelby Township, Mich., approximately 30 miles north of Detroit. Slated to open in late 2007, the facility will be a part of The Shops at Stony Creek, a new lifestyle center located at the southwest corner of the 26 Mile and Old Van Dyke roads. The announcement did not specify how many screens the new cinema would house. Phoenix Theatres’ existing sites are rescued locations previously operated by national chains; the Shelby plex is to be the first site the circuit will construct from the ground up. “The new location will be one of the first to be built in the ‘digital projection era,’ allowing us to be one of the first to develop methods of incorporating the new technology into theatre design,” stated circuit co-owner Cory Jacobson. “When old ideas and new technology start to combine, we feel we will have a theatre that will capture the imagination of the public in a way that will draw customers from inside and outside typical trade areas.” Based in Farmington Hills, Mich., Phoenix currently operates two sites in Michigan.