AMC Theatres’ giant IMAX screen took five long months to renovate, but it’s finally ready. The Navy Pier IMAX Theatre reopens tonight, Thursday, September 7th. And it’s looking fly with its new black-and-white color scheme!
There hasn’t been a single movie played through the new 4K digital laser projection system, and if you’re into creepy clowns (which you probably aren’t) or tales of teen angst (which is more likely), the 2017 IT reboot will be the first thing on the 60′ tall, 86′ wide screen. For all two of the audio nerds reading this, the theater is equipped with a 12-channel speaker system, which will pack a dynamic array of sounds sure to thrill and terrify you (in the case of IT) with its rumbles, squeaks, vrooms and booms.
They’ve also reduced the total number of seats for the sake of comfort – instead of 440 seats in 11 rows, they’ve vouched for 300 “plush rockers” distributed along nine rows. These seats recline and will save many a neck seated a little too close to the gi-normous screen.
The screen itself may look exactly the same as the old screen to the untrained eye, but this is not the case. Instead of being strips of cloth, it is actually one contiguous piece.
“It’s in one piece,” according to AMC corporate communications head Ryan Noonan, “[w]e cut a hole in the wall to get it in, and it took upward of 30 guys to carry it.”
The concession stands were also improved upon and redesigned, and alcohol service will soon be provided.
This comes right in the nick of time for the ailing movie industry, which had its worst box office summer in 22 years with a 16% decline in attendance and a number of big budget flops.
Tickets are $18.99 for IMAX 2D, and $19.00 for IMAX 3D.
