Lansing - Celebration! Cinema is about to change.
John Loeks, President of Celebration!, 200 E. Edgewood Blvd., announced Tuesday plans to add new theaters to the complex, one standard 35mm screen and one IMAX theater.
"This is a really exciting day in the life of our company, Celebration! Cinema," Loeks said at a press conference.
The project, scheduled to begin in late spring and conclude by December, will make Lansing one of 10 state capital cities with an IMAX theater. Its cost will be an estimated $3.5-$4 million.
Former Lansing Mayor David Hollister said opening an IMAX in the Lansing area will help set the city apart from other metropolitan areas. Hollister thanked Loeks for "helping the area become a world-class community."
"When you travel around the world an IMAX is something you look for in major cities," said Hollister.
Gary Geiger, CEO of NCG Cinemas, 2800 Showtime Drive in Eastwood Towne Center mall, said he is not worried about increased competition due to the IMAX project.
"It's kind of a different business than the regular movie business," Geiger said.
"They'll bring in people for the IMAX. It's just a different scenario and it won't stop people from seeing the big movies every week.
"It will be good for the community. It will draw people from other areas to Lansing," Geiger added.
IMAX is not your standard theater. With a 44-by-70-foot screen and Proportional Point Source sound, IMAX screens stand at roughly the height of an eight-story building and boom out crisp, lifelike sound. Films are shot on 15/70mm film as opposed to 35mm, giving them a larger-than-life quality.
Due to the immense cost of production, IMAX theaters are somewhat difficult to find, the closest screen to Lansing being in Grand Rapids.
"This becomes something separate and apart from 35mm presentation," Loeks said.
Recently, mainstream Hollywood productions such as "The Lion King," "Apollo 13" and "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" have been given the IMAX treatment, with more blockbusters scheduled to be released in the near future.
Educational films have taken on new life through IMAX. Among the films scheduled to show at the theater are "Everest," the award-winning account of an expedition up the world's most infamous peak, "Space Station 3-D," the first feature filmed in outer space, and "The Human Body."
"I've watched many days as nine to 10 school buses roll into our theater to see a film," said Loeks of his Grand Rapids IMAX theater.
Loeks' daughter, Emily Loeks, said the theater plans to work in partnership with local schools in an effort to further education through the theater.
"Good teachers know students absorb more when they are able to experience," she said, noting support from the Ingham Intermediate School District has been exceptional.
Lansing Mayor Tony Benavides added praise to the theater, noting the educational value along with the theater's potential to up Lansing's tourism revenue.
"My vision for Lansing is to have a family-friendly community. This addition to Lansing is music my ears," Benavides said. "Everybody wins on this one."
Overall, he said, Celebration! Cinemas' IMAX will offer a unique theater experience and marks a new era for Lansing-area cinema.
