EDWARDS CINEMA RAISES CURTAIN ON MOVIE MEGAPLEX EXPANSION : BOOMING BIG-SCREEN BONANZA.Byline: Dave McNary Daily News Staff Writer Edwards Cinema has unveiled an ambitious plan to open 15 new multiplexes in California by the end of next year, reflecting the boom in new movie screens in the industry. The announcement follows the death of company founder James Edwards Jr. on Saturday and reaffirms its commitment to aggressive expansion in the hyper-competitive California market. It also sought to dispel speculation that the privately held Newport Beach-based company was for sale. Included in the plans are a 10-screen Solomint theater in Canyon Country, a 12-screen complex with an IMAX IMAX Noun a film projection process that produces an image ten times larger than standard theater at the Valencia Town Center and a 12-screen facility at the Plaza Nuevo development in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. . All three are set to open next year. The chain, which operates 560 screens at 89 locations in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , has been among the most aggressive in opening ``megaplexes'' of up to 30 screens, in or near shopping malls, with ``stadium-style'' seating even though these facilities cost 50 percent more per screen than conventional multiplexes. In the announcement, company President James Edwards III said his father had prepared for the continued orderly operation of the company and for business practices and philosophies to remain in place. ``We have a business plan and it is fully funded,'' Edwards said in a statement. ``Therefore, we are proceeding with our aggressive expansion on our original schedule.'' The company already has opened three new theaters this year - an 18-plex in West Covina West Covina, city (1990 pop. 96,086), Los Angeles co., S Calif., in the San Gabriel valley; settled 1905, inc. 1923. Before World War II, West Covina was a small rural community where walnuts, wheat, and livestock were raised. , a 14-screen facility in Bakersfield and its 22-screen complex in Ontario, across the street from AMC's 30-screen theater, making the area one of the largest concentrations of movie auditoriums in the world. Both AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) See AdvancedTCA. and Edwards insist their Ontario operations are performing well in a market that had been underserved. ``What we're seeing is that when you open a megaplex, it becomes the hot ticket in that area,'' said Don Barton, vice president of marketing for Edwards. ``If you go into an area which hasn't seen a new theater in a few years, you're going to be it.'' Barton said Edwards also is continuing to seek other new sites, particularly in areas where new theaters have not opened recently. Other chains expanding rapidly include AMC, which claims to have opened the nation's first megaplex two years ago in Dallas with a 24-screen facility, Pacific Theaters, Cineplex Odeon O`de´on n. 1. A kind of theater in ancient Greece, smaller than the dramatic theater and roofed over, in which poets and musicians submitted their works to the approval of the public, and contended for prizes; - hence, in modern usage, the , Mann and the joint venture between Sony Corp. and Magic Johnson “Earvin Johnson” redirects here. For the Milwaukee Bucks center, see Ervin Johnson. Earvin Effay Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan), nicknamed Magic Theatres. Richard Fay, AMC's president of marketing, said recently that the chain plans to open 30 to 35 megaplexes with 730 screens within the next 18 to 24 months. ``This expansion phase has been fast and furious,'' Fay said. ``We're still learning as we're going in terms of how many screens to give to each film but these are obviously the wave of the future. We're seeing the frequency of people's attendance go from four to six to eight times a year, which is what makes you profitable.'' The overall number of screens rose 4.2 percent in 1995 and 6.4 percent last year to hit 29,731 as of Dec. 31 and expansion may top the latter percentage this year. Retail analyst Frederick Marx of Farmington Hills Far·ming·ton Hills A city of southeast Michigan, an industrial suburb of Detroit. Population: 81,400. , Mich., said the trend of building showcase theaters reflects the current developers' goal of ``clustering'' a variety of options for consumers, much like a shopping mall. ``The concept is that when people are looking go to a movie, you can find the one you want,'' Marx said. ``Going to movies is still a passion for Americans. People still need a place to go after spending all day in front of a computer screen or on the phone.'' Edwards will open four more theaters this year in Southern California in Aliso Viejo, Brea, San Marcos San Marcos (săn mär`kəs). 1 City (1990 pop. 38,974), San Diego co., S Calif., a northern suburb of San Diego; settled 1880s, inc. 1963. and Tustin, along with its first three facilities outside the region - a 12-plex in Fairfield and 21-plexes for Fresno and Boise, Idaho “Boise” redirects here. For other uses, see Boise (disambiguation). Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the county seat of Ada County and the principal city of the Boise metropolitan area. . Besides the Canyon Country, Thousand Oaks and Valencia projects, Edwards' 1998 openings will come again in Brea and Ontario along with locations in Huntington Beach Huntington Beach, city (1990 pop. 181,519), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast, across from Santa Catalina Island, in an oil-producing area; inc. 1909. It manufactures aerospace vehicles, aircraft parts, optical instruments, and heat transfer equipment. , Long Beach, Mission Viejo Mission Vi·e·jo A community of southern California southeast of Irvine. It is mainly residential. Population: 96,300. and Redlands. Newport Beach-based Edwards Cinema plan to build 15 ``megaplexes'' in California reflects an industry trend for multi-screen houses like the recently opened Mann theater in Westlake Village. Tina Gerson/Daily News Chart: (Color) Movie Theater Expansion Bradford Mar/Daily News CAPTION(S): Photo, Chart |
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