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Summer 2004 Debut In Iowa Capital Century Fields Des Moines 20 DES MOINES, Iowa – Century Theatres was set to begin construction in March on a state-of-the-art 20-plex for West Des Moines’ Jordan Creek Town Center. The 75,360-square-foot site, set to bow in the summer of 2004, will include a Starcade gameroom and a Café Cinema featuring gourmet desserts and coffees. Fandango online ticketing service will also be available, allowing patrons to print their tickets at home. All auditoriums will feature stadium-style seating, rocker love seats, digital stereo sound and THX certification. “Century can provide moviegoers with the finest presentation and the best movies available, which will make Jordan Creek a major destination for everyone in the Des Moines market seeking a first-class experience,” noted Century CEO Raymond Syufy. Century signed a lease early this year with the Jordan Creek Town Center’s developer, General Growth Properties Inc. The Jordan Creek Town Center, a 200-acre retail, dining, entertainment and recreation development, will include a two-level enclosed mall featuring a streetscape design, a lake surrounded by restaurants, a hotel and an amphitheatre and an open-air village comprised of retailers. San Rafael, Calif.-based Century currently operates more than 850 screens in 11 states. Florida Site Due 2004 Muvico Plants Plantation 20 PLANTATION, Fla. – Muvico Theatres in February revealed plans to open by mid-2004 a 20-plex in Plantation, Fla., about six miles east of Fort Lauderdale. The plex, to be located at the Fashion Mall at 321 North University Drive, north of Broward Boulevard, will boast “theme” architecture, stadium-style seating, wall-to-wall curved screens, 24-inch-wide reclining seats, Dolby digital sound and 46-inch row spacing. The site will also offer an in-house children’s playroom and an expanded menu offering freshly prepared crispy chicken breasts, pizza and popcorn shrimp. “Our goal is 2-fold, to provide a vivid and fun setting and to surround our moviegoers in comfort,” said Muvico president Hamid Hashemi. Fort Lauderdale-based Muvico currently operates 233 screens at 12 sites in Florida, Maryland and Tennessee.   Operations Vet Mike Norris Loews Cineplex Gets New Prez NEW YORK – Loews Cineplex Entertainment announced Jan. 27 the appointment of former executive vice president Michael P. Norris to circuit president. Norris, who reports to circuit CEO Travis Reid, is now responsible for operations, concessions, real estate, marketing, new-business development and film buying. He joined Loews in 1995 as senior vice president of operations; a promotion to executive vice president of operations followed in March 1997. Last August he was promoted to executive vice president of the company. “Mike has been an invaluable asset to the Loews Cineplex team since 1995 and has been instrumental in leading our efforts to build one of the strongest theatre chains in North America,” noted Reid. Western-Themed Launch Santikos Rides 16 Into San Antonio SAN ANTONIO – Cowboys, longhorn steer, trick ropers and others greeted patrons at the Feb. 6 grand opening of Santikos Theatres’ Silverado 16 Theatres in San Antonio. Located at loop 1604 and Bandera Road, the cinema boasts a full-scale café, stadium-style seating, rocker-chairs and digital sound in all auditoria. The facility, which features digitally projected trailers in the lobby, also comes with projection booths “pre-wired” for digital cinema, according to circuit officials. The site opened with a night of free Western movies. Half of the concessions sales from the event went to benefit The San Antonio Living History Association. Santikos Theatres currently operates 63 screens in six sites throughout San Antonio. West L.A. Landmark Upgrades Due Westwood’s Crest LOS ANGELES – The Crest, a historic movie palace long nestled in West Los Angeles’ Westwood district, is getting another upgrade. Purchased last April by ReelSource CEO Robert Bucksbaum for $3.2 million, the former Pacific Theatres-operated facility will boast a row of “subwoofer seats,” a lobby shark tank and a renovated concession counter and restroom. Subwoofer speakers will be installed beneath a single row of seats in the middle of the auditorium, aligned parallel to the screen. Bucksbaum’s influence on the facility was felt soon after he purchased it. Last spring, the 460-seat single instituted Saturday morning classic and family movie screenings with 30-minute live magic-show preludes. "There is nothing better than seeing kids and families throwing popcorn and screaming with laughter,” noted Bucksbaum. The concession menu was also recently enhanced with the addition of sweet kettle corn and cotton candy. First opened in 1941 by Henry Fonda’s second wife, Frances Seymour Fonda, the site underwent a Disney-supervised renovation a decade ago designed to preserve much of the art-deco grandeur it enjoyed in its infancy. Untouched will remain the cinema’s large, blinking lit marquee, a ceiling festooned with celestially aligned stars, and hand-painted murals covering the walls. The site also features online reservations; name placards and ribbons are employed to save seats. Midtown Multi For 2004 REG Marches 16 On Atlanta ATLANTA – Regal Entertainment Group (REG) is planning an early 2004 opening for its United Artists 16-plex in the heart of midtown Atlanta. A lease agreement for the site was signed last May with developer Atlantic Station LLC. The 100,000-square-foot multi will comprise two stories of the 140-acre Atlantic Station environmental redevelopment project at the connector of interstates 75 and 85. The site will eventually boast 12 million square feet of retail, office, residential and hotel space, as well as 11 acres of public parks. The 4,000-seat plex will incorporate stadium-style seating, wrap-around screens and a street-level box office. “The live, work and play environment of Atlantic Station is a logical choice for our strategic growth, and this partnership is sure to be a successful one for all parties involved,” noted REG senior marketing VP Dick Westerling. REG currently operates 5,663 screens at 524 sites in 36 states.

Lane, Walken, Lohman, Mendes, Fisher, Heyman and Grazer Also Tapped Sandler, Zeta-Jones Among Top ShoWest ‘03 Honorees LAS VEGAS – Actors Adam Sandler (“Anger Management”), Diane Lane (“Unfaithful”), Christopher Walken (“Catch Me If You Can”), Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago”) and Alison Lohman (“White Oleander”), as well as director Sam Mendes (“Road to Perdition”), screenwriter Antwone Fisher (“Antwone Fisher”) and producers David Heyman (the “Harry Potter” series) and Brian Grazer (“8 Mile”), were among those receiving top honors at ShoWest’s convention-closing March 6 awards ceremony. Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Punch-Drunk Love,” ShoWest male star of the year Sandler gained fame as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” then gained more for his work on comedy blockbusters like “The Wedding Singer,” “Big Daddy” and last year’s “Mr. Deeds.” Sandler’s next film, “Anger Management,” co-starring Jack Nicholson, opens April 11. Previous recipients of the male star of the year honor include Will Smith, Russell Crowe, Jim Carrey, Anthony Hopkins, Denzel Washington and Robin Williams. ShoWest female star of the year Lane began her motion picture career as Sir Laurence Olivier’s 13-year-old co-star in George Roy Hill’s 1979 comedy “A Little Romance.” Featured on the cover of Time at age 14, Lane subsequently appeared in three films directed by Francis Ford Coppola: “The Outsiders,” “Rumble Fish” and “The Cotton Club.” Lane’s performance as an adulterous, tormented wife opposite Richard Gere in “Unfaithful” earned her a best actress Oscar nomination, as well as nods from the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), the National Society of Film Critics and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Previous recipients of the female star of the year award include Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, Annette Bening, Meg Ryan, Helen Hunt and Demi Moore. In 1978, ShoWest supporting actor of the year Walken received for his performance in “The Deer Hunter” a best supporting actor Oscar, an NYFCC award and a Golden Globe nomination. Many moviegoers first became aware of him for his role as the title character’s spooky brother in Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall.” Walken has since appeared in more than 50 features. Walken’s upcoming films include Barry Levinson’s “Envy,” Martin Brest’s “Tough Love” and Universal’s “Helldorado.” “We are honored to pay tribute to the incredible work he [Walken] has accomplished in his colorful career, and especially for his highly entertaining performance in DreamWorks’ ‘Catch Me if You Can,’” said ShoWest organizer Robert Sunshine. Previous recipients of the supporting actor of the year award include Haley Joel Osment, Ving Rhames, William H. Macy, Burt Reynolds and Cuba Gooding Jr. ShoWest supporting actress of the year Zeta-Jones, nominated for a supporting actress Oscar and a supporting actress Golden Globe for her role in “Chicago,” is well-known for roles in “The Mask of Zorro,” “Entrapment” and “America’s Sweethearts.” She earned her first Golden Globe nomination for her role in Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 crime drama “Traffic.” The Welsh actress made her acting debut in the West End production of “42nd Street” before landing a role in the hit Yorkshire TV series, “The Darling Buds of May.” She sheds the black bob for her upcoming role as a Beverly Hills divorcee in the Coen Brothers’ “Intolerable Cruelty.” “Catherine Zeta-Jones is truly a screen gem who has amazed audiences not only with her great acting ability, but with her beautiful voice and flawless dance technique in Chicago,” said Sunshine. “It is our pleasure and honor to celebrate her accomplishments.” Previous recipients of the supporting actress of the year award include Marisa Tomei, Angelina Jolie and Joan Allen. ShoWest female star of tomorrow Lohman’s credits include the CBS telefilm “Sharing the Secret” and the Fox TV series “Pasadena.” The 23-year-old’s future film slate includes Ridley Scott’s “Matchstick Men,” due Aug. 8, as well as Tim Burton’s “Big Fish.” Previous recipients of the female star of tomorrow award include Naomi Watts, Shannon Elizabeth, Hilary Swank, Heather Graham, Minnie Driver, Claire Danes and Cameron Diaz. A veteran of the London stage, ShoWest director of the year Sam Mendes made his feature directorial debut with the 1999 Oscar-winner “American Beauty.” An in-depth interview with Mendes can be found in the January issue of In Focus. Previous recipients of ShoWest’s director of the year honor include Ron Howard, Wolfgang Peterson, Anthony Minghella, John Madden, Barry Levinson, Joel Schumacher and Mel Gibson. The autobiographical “Antwone Fisher Story” was the first screenplay by ShoWest screenwriter of the year Fisher to find its way to the big screen. “It is now a double honor to be able to pay tribute to the writer himself,” Sunshine said. “He has done an incredible job in telling the world his compelling and courageous story.” Previous recipients of the ShoWest screenwriter of the year honor include Ron Bass (“Passion of Mind”), Peter & Bobby Farrelly (“Shallow Hal”) and Alan Ball (“American Beauty”). ShoWest producer of the year Heyman has “given us two gifts of a lifetime, two magical films that will endure, enhance and entertain moviegoing audiences worldwide for generations to come,” said Sunshine. Heyman’s two “Harry Potter” films have already tallied a combined worldwide theatrical gross of more than $1.8 billion. His other credits as a producer include “Juice,” “Daytrippers” and “Ravenous.” Previous recipients of the ShoWest producer of the year honor include Jerry Bruckheimer (“Pearl Harbor”), Arnold Kopelson (“The Fugitive”) and James Cameron (“Titanic”). Grazer, whose film and TV projects have been nominated for a total of 39 Oscars and 17 Emmys will receive the convention’s lifetime achievement award. Last year the Grazer-produced “A Beautiful Mind” took home the Best Picture Oscar, as well as three other Academy Awards. His movies have generated more than $10.5 billion in worldwide theatrical, music and video grosses. In 2001, the Producer’s Guild of America honored Grazer with the David O. Selznick Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. In 1998, Grazer was one of few producers to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “With his Oscar win last year and the recent success of ‘8 Mile,’ we are proud to add the ShoWest lifetime achievement award to what must be a very crowded shelf,” noted Sunshine. Grazer’s upcoming films include Bo Welch’s “The Cat in the Hat” and the Coen Brothers’ “Intolerable Cruelty,” both due this autumn. CATO Meeting Honors Wilson Conn. Exhibs Distribute $18,000 in Scholarships NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Connecticut Association of Theatre Owners (CATO) announced the association’s 2002 scholarship recipients at its Dec. 12 annual membership meeting. A total of $18,000, comprising individual scholarships of between $500 to $3,000, was awarded to employees of several member exhibitors. Selections were made based upon merit and need. The same meeting also saw actress Elizabeth Wilson receive CATO’s annual “distinguished achievement award” for her work in film, music and theatre. Wilson began her film career almost 50 years ago in “Picnic” and continued to star in such films as “9 to 5,” “The Addams Family” and “Quiz Show.” She accepted the award and an engraved Baccarat crystal star from screenwriter-producer Luther Davis. CATO also donated a substantial check to benefit the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital and Department of Pediatrics. CATO scholarship recipients are: • Kornthes Nong, Hoyts Cinema 12 Enfield; • Scott Ryan Rose, Hoyts Cinemas Simsbury; • Marissa D. Brookes, Showcase Cinemas Southington; • David W. Schneider, Bethel Cinemas; • Jonathon Sanborn, Mansfield Drive-In; • Amber Lee Beitler, Showcase Cinemas Southington; • Guy Jerome Mingot, Crown Royal 6, Norwalk; • Leslie Ann Horner, Southington Twin Drive-In; • Jill Marie Depeau, Hoyts Cinema 12 Enfield; • Weslie Mattice, State Cinema, Jewett City; • Kevin V. Fitzpatrick, Hoyts Wilton 4 Cinema; • Eric C.D. Willard, Hoyts Enfield Square; • Jennifer Abramczyk, Southington Showcase Cinemas.