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BEAVERCREEK — Harry Potter fans can see the next installment of the blockbuster film series in IMAX without having to drive to Cincinnati or Columbus.
Rave Motion Pictures at The Greene plans to open an IMAX theater by the midnight Nov. 18 opening of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part I,” said Jeremy Devine, the company’s vice president of marketing.
Rave is renovating an existing auditorium at the 14-screen multiplex to add a large, curved screen that spans the height and width of the theater, as well as a large-format IMAX projector and powerful digital sound system.
“It should be this tremendous, immersive experience,” Devine said.
The cost of the project, which involves removing some theater seats, is “substantial,” but a dollar figure was not available, he said.
The Dayton area’s first and only current IMAX screen is at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, which typically shows aviation-themed IMAX films.
The Greene’s IMAX ticket prices are not yet determined. Typically, they are about $3 more than regular admission, Devine said.
Rave is scheduled to finish converting all 46 of its Dayton-area screens to digital projection by mid-November. The process costs up to $100,000 per screen, Devine said.
Digital allows theaters to show 3-D movies and live sporting or concert events. Theaters also can better match supply to demand because digital images can be exported to other auditoriums.
Instead of being limited by the number of available prints for the “Harry Potter” midnight opening, “we could sell the entire building,” Devine said. “It gives you amazing capability that begins to impact not just us as an operator, but the consumer,” he said.
Rave plans to upgrade the exterior signs on its area theaters with company branding in 2011.
Rave in December 2009 acquired 35 theaters from National Amusements, including three in the Dayton area. That purchase doubled Rave’s portfolio.
Dallas-based Rave owns or manages about 1,000 screens in 65 theaters in 20 states.
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