Please rename Regal Crystal Lake Showplace as per website and total seats is 1,168. Also Regal took over control on May 21, 1999. The Correct grand opening ad in photos section, the one that was posted was 1 week later and the first week Regal took over.
Please update, theatre became a twin on May 16, 1980 October 14, 1988 CLassic Cinemas took over the theatre. On May 24, 2002 became 4 screens and in 2013 8. Various ads uploaded in photos section.
Billionaire to open movie theater in Highland Park featuring films that ‘unite and inspire’: ‘We want to put something positive in the air’
By Gavid Good
Chicago Tribune, February 1, 2023
Highland Park’s lone movie theater has a new operator, a new opening date and a lot of change on the horizon.
Billionaire businessman Steve Sarowitz is crossing from the production side of the film industry into the commercial side with Wayfarer Theaters, set for a soft opening of Feb. 10 at the former site of Landmark’s Renaissance Place Cinema in downtown Highland Park.
Landmark’s decision to close up shop at the Renaissance Place site in downtown Highland Park follows the closings of hundreds of movie theaters in the United States, even before the pandemic. Lake County is set to lose Regal movie theaters in Round Lake Beach and Lincolnshire this year.
But Sarowitz, who founded the software company Paylocity before venturing into filmmaking, isn’t worried about jumping into a declining field.
As he walked through the five-theater complex with general manager Clay Stamper on Tuesday, Sarowitz pointed out [an] old concession space where he plans [to] bring in filmmakers to speak about their movies, traded creative and logistical ideas with Stamper and spoke of playing films to “unite and inspire” visitors, rather than those which display “the violence and the lust and the greed” found in some films.
“If you look at most films, the horror films or even the superhero films, there’s so much violence, there’s so much negative energy,” Sarowitz said. “Society has all that in social media, and we want to put something positive in the air.”
The emphasis will be on showing films that show off the “spiritual part” of humanity, like love, kindness, mercy, compassion and justice, he said.
“Right now, Highland Park is reeling from both COVID and (violence),” Sarowitz said. “We’ve had multiple incidences of violence, with the worst being the July Fourth shooting, and I want to do something that would contribute to the betterment of the community itself and be a gathering place for the community.”
Sarowitz said another goal is making the theater accessible to people of all incomes, adding that movie tickets will cost $10 after tax. The logistics around concession stands and what to offer are still being worked out, he noted, but the prices will be lower than under past operators.
“The whole idea is we want to make movies good and affordable, and make the theater into more of a community center,” Sarowitz said.
Sarowitz founded his TV and film company, Wayfarer Studios, with actor-turned-filmmaker Justin Baldoni in 2019. He and Baldoni also run the nonprofit Wayfarer Foundation, which according to Sarowitz, “funds and supports spiritually rooted and justice-oriented nonprofits” to create a more hopeful world.
In addition to Sarowitz’s hope to provide a safe space for the community to enjoy movies and good company, he said he wants to provide engaging children’s programming and use his connections to have directors and others involved in filmmaking say, “Here’s what I did and here’s why I did it.”
For Stamper, the chance to work with Sarowitz on the venture was a chance to curate a moviegoing experience that differentiates from competing with the “big tent pole” productions at other theaters, though Wayfarer Theaters will likely play some big budget dramas and comedies.
“The first three months that we’re going to be in operation, we’re very much inviting our guests to tell us … what they personally want to be seeing and experiencing in our theater,” Stamper said. “What stories matter to them?”
Stamper said he wants to bring back residents and visitors who have previously enjoyed attending movies in downtown Highland Park, but haven’t been recently.
Sarowitz said the theater is in the process of hiring its staff and selecting the first films it would play. He said he might like to play movies such as “Coda,” which humanized the experiences of deaf people, and other films such as “Good Will Hunting” and “The Shawshank Redemption.”
The move to acquire his own theater comes as Sarowitz’s film studio is developing an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s hit 2016 romance novel “It Ends With Us” with Sony Pictures, starring Blake Lively and Baldoni; an action-comedy called “Code 3″ featuring Rainn Wilson and Lil Rel Howery, and a live-action Pac-Man film.
Please update, theatre went to 14 screens on June 30, 1995 and 20 screens on June 27, 1997. One of the 2 houses is a sports bar and another one is closed. The total screen count based on 18 screens is 1,714
Entertainment venue and cinema, Hooky Entertainment to open in Baytown
Hooky Entertainment, a cinema and entertainment venue, will open a 73,000-square-foot entertainment complex in Baytown on Oct. 3, according to a Sept. 16 news release.
The details
The 73,000-square-foot venue will feature 10 theaters, including an IMAX auditorium, as well as a bowling alley with 14 lanes, an 8,000-square-foot arcade, two virtual dart bays, premium food and beverage offerings and private event spaces.
What else?
The new location will open in the building previously occupied by Showbiz Cinemas.
Opening Oct. 3
10550 I-10 Service Road, Baytown
www.hookyentertainment.com
The first feature to show was Downtown Abbey in XL at AMC. This was my first experiance with is format, not impressed. The screen look like it was the same, seating was the original Sandance Rockers, the only improvement was the sound system
Please update, theatre open May 5, 1995 operated by Main Street Theatres, Inc.(article in photos section)with 8 screens and expanded to 15 screens in July 1997. Marcus Theatres took over operation in 1999 and total seats 1,166
According to management Imax Laser opening in theatre 23 in November. The remaining 5 screens won’t get upgraded to recliners, due to going over budget. It happened in the future. All other renovations completed
Please correct, this is Emagine 2nd location, the first is Batavia in IL
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 151
Theatre 2 142
Theatre 3 71
Theatre 4 81
Theatre 5, 6 and 8 92
Theatre 7 120
Theatre 9 208
Theatre 10 205
Please update, total seats 1,055
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 49
Theatre 2 48
Theatre 3 78
Theatre 4 and 5 79
Theatre 6 77
Theatre 7 47
Theatre 8 49
Theatre 9 74 (DBOX)
Theatre 10, 11 and 12 75
Theatre 13 134
Theatre 14 116 (DBOX)
Grand opening ad in the photos section
Please update, total seats 1,105
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 7 81
Theatre 2 and 8 35
Theatre 3 and 9 51
Theatre 4 135
Theatre 5 and 11 62
Theatre 6 and 12 36
Theatre 10 236 IMAX at AMC
Theatre 13 103
Theatre 14 102
Grand Opening ad in the photos section, theatre opened May 28, 2004 and the theatre name is AMC New Lenox 14 as per theatre website.
Please rename AMC Naperville 16 as per AMC Website and total seats is 3,024 Also theatre opened on June 23, 2006
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 141 Dolby Cinema at AMC
Theatre 2 and 10 293 (Both with XL at AMC)
Theatre 3 and 11 244
Theatre 4 and 12 103
Theatre 5, 7 and 15 159
Theatre 6 193
Theatre 8 and 16 103
Theatre 9 284 IMAX at AMC
Theatre 13 150
Theatre 14 293
Please rename Regal Crystal Lake Showplace as per website and total seats is 1,168. Also Regal took over control on May 21, 1999. The Correct grand opening ad in photos section, the one that was posted was 1 week later and the first week Regal took over.
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 16 184
Theatre 2, 5 and 15 42
Theatre 3 and 4 36
Theatre 6 and 11 56
Theatre 7 and 10 70
Theatre 8 and 9 121
Theatre 12 39
Theatre 13 35
Theatre 14 42
Please update, theatre became a twin on May 16, 1980 October 14, 1988 CLassic Cinemas took over the theatre. On May 24, 2002 became 4 screens and in 2013 8. Various ads uploaded in photos section.
Total seats 527
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 127
Theatre 2 24
Theatre 3 68
Theatre 4 81
Theatre 5, 6 and 7 47
Theatre 7 86 XQ/DTS:X
Please update, total seats 982
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 7 117
Theatre 2 and 8 77
Theatre 3 134
Theatre 4 and 10 66
Theatre 5 and 11 50
Theatre 6 and 12 43
Theatre 9 132
Just uploaded a better grand opening ad in the photos section
Please update, theatre OPEN and rename Wayfarer Theaters Highland Park and total seats 571
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 177
Theatre 2 139
Theaare 3 185
Theatre 4 30
Theatre 5 40
Billionaire to open movie theater in Highland Park featuring films that ‘unite and inspire’: ‘We want to put something positive in the air’ By Gavid Good Chicago Tribune, February 1, 2023 Highland Park’s lone movie theater has a new operator, a new opening date and a lot of change on the horizon.
Billionaire businessman Steve Sarowitz is crossing from the production side of the film industry into the commercial side with Wayfarer Theaters, set for a soft opening of Feb. 10 at the former site of Landmark’s Renaissance Place Cinema in downtown Highland Park.
Landmark’s decision to close up shop at the Renaissance Place site in downtown Highland Park follows the closings of hundreds of movie theaters in the United States, even before the pandemic. Lake County is set to lose Regal movie theaters in Round Lake Beach and Lincolnshire this year.
But Sarowitz, who founded the software company Paylocity before venturing into filmmaking, isn’t worried about jumping into a declining field.
As he walked through the five-theater complex with general manager Clay Stamper on Tuesday, Sarowitz pointed out [an] old concession space where he plans [to] bring in filmmakers to speak about their movies, traded creative and logistical ideas with Stamper and spoke of playing films to “unite and inspire” visitors, rather than those which display “the violence and the lust and the greed” found in some films.
“If you look at most films, the horror films or even the superhero films, there’s so much violence, there’s so much negative energy,” Sarowitz said. “Society has all that in social media, and we want to put something positive in the air.”
The emphasis will be on showing films that show off the “spiritual part” of humanity, like love, kindness, mercy, compassion and justice, he said.
“Right now, Highland Park is reeling from both COVID and (violence),” Sarowitz said. “We’ve had multiple incidences of violence, with the worst being the July Fourth shooting, and I want to do something that would contribute to the betterment of the community itself and be a gathering place for the community.”
Sarowitz said another goal is making the theater accessible to people of all incomes, adding that movie tickets will cost $10 after tax. The logistics around concession stands and what to offer are still being worked out, he noted, but the prices will be lower than under past operators.
“The whole idea is we want to make movies good and affordable, and make the theater into more of a community center,” Sarowitz said.
Sarowitz founded his TV and film company, Wayfarer Studios, with actor-turned-filmmaker Justin Baldoni in 2019. He and Baldoni also run the nonprofit Wayfarer Foundation, which according to Sarowitz, “funds and supports spiritually rooted and justice-oriented nonprofits” to create a more hopeful world.
In addition to Sarowitz’s hope to provide a safe space for the community to enjoy movies and good company, he said he wants to provide engaging children’s programming and use his connections to have directors and others involved in filmmaking say, “Here’s what I did and here’s why I did it.”
For Stamper, the chance to work with Sarowitz on the venture was a chance to curate a moviegoing experience that differentiates from competing with the “big tent pole” productions at other theaters, though Wayfarer Theaters will likely play some big budget dramas and comedies.
“The first three months that we’re going to be in operation, we’re very much inviting our guests to tell us … what they personally want to be seeing and experiencing in our theater,” Stamper said. “What stories matter to them?”
Stamper said he wants to bring back residents and visitors who have previously enjoyed attending movies in downtown Highland Park, but haven’t been recently.
Sarowitz said the theater is in the process of hiring its staff and selecting the first films it would play. He said he might like to play movies such as “Coda,” which humanized the experiences of deaf people, and other films such as “Good Will Hunting” and “The Shawshank Redemption.”
The move to acquire his own theater comes as Sarowitz’s film studio is developing an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s hit 2016 romance novel “It Ends With Us” with Sony Pictures, starring Blake Lively and Baldoni; an action-comedy called “Code 3″ featuring Rainn Wilson and Lil Rel Howery, and a live-action Pac-Man film.
Please update, theatre went to 14 screens on June 30, 1995 and 20 screens on June 27, 1997. One of the 2 houses is a sports bar and another one is closed. The total screen count based on 18 screens is 1,714
Seating Capacity:
theatre 1 126
Theatre 2 156 SuperScreen DLX
Theatre 3 68
Theatre 4 73
Theatre 5 120 4DX
Theatre 6 222 UltraScreen DLX
Theatre 7 and 8 sports bar and ???
Theatre 9 70
Theatre 10 and 11 57
Theatre 12 97
Theatre 13 145 SuperScreen DLX
Theatre 14 and 15 127
Theatre 16 and 19 47
Theatre 17 and 18 40
Theatre 20 98
It going to be rebranded Hooky Entertainment on October 3, the theatre is currently open as Showbiz Cinemas.
Entertainment venue and cinema, Hooky Entertainment to open in Baytown Hooky Entertainment, a cinema and entertainment venue, will open a 73,000-square-foot entertainment complex in Baytown on Oct. 3, according to a Sept. 16 news release.
The details
The 73,000-square-foot venue will feature 10 theaters, including an IMAX auditorium, as well as a bowling alley with 14 lanes, an 8,000-square-foot arcade, two virtual dart bays, premium food and beverage offerings and private event spaces.
What else?
The new location will open in the building previously occupied by Showbiz Cinemas.
Opening Oct. 3 10550 I-10 Service Road, Baytown www.hookyentertainment.com
Please update, total screens is 13. 4 additional screens opened May 21, 2004 and another 4 screens open in the last few years. The total is 13 screens
Total Seats: 819
Theatre 1 84
Theatre 2 60 XQ/DTS:X
Theatre 3 and 4 45
Theatre 5 69 XQ/DTS:X
Theatre 6 103
Theatre 7 50
Theatre 8 42
Theatre 9 41
Theatre 10 97
Theatre 11 52
Theatre 12 50
Theatre 13 81
Please rename Cinemark Century Deer Park 16 as per theatre website and total seats 2,479
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1, 2, 3, 14, 15 and 16 100
Theatre 4 and 13 123
Theatre 5 and 12 133
Theatre 6 and 11 166
Theatre 7 and 10 230
Theatre 8 284
Theatre 9 292
Please update, total seats 1,140
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 221 Dolby Cinema at AMC
Theatre 2 169
Theatre 3 65
Theatre 5 78
Theatre 6 79
Theatre 7, 8 and 9 59
Theatre 10 119
Theatre 11 85
Theatre 12 92
Please update, theatre name Classic Cinemas Kendall GDX, theatre opened on July 23, 1999 and total screens 11
Total Seating: 1,063
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 122
Theatre 2 53
Theatre 3 63
Theatre 4 88
Theatre 5 128
Theatre 6 97
Theatre 7 63
Theatre 8 52
Theatre 9 240 GDX/Dolby Atmos
Theatre 10 61
Theatre 11 96
The first feature to show was Downtown Abbey in XL at AMC. This was my first experiance with is format, not impressed. The screen look like it was the same, seating was the original Sandance Rockers, the only improvement was the sound system
Please update, theatre opened November 26, 1998 and total seats 654. Article about the opening in photos section.
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 137 XQ DTS:X
Theatre 2 67
Theatre 3 and 4 91
Theatre 5 66
Theatre 6 63
Theatre 7 139
Please update, theatre open May 5, 1995 operated by Main Street Theatres, Inc.(article in photos section)with 8 screens and expanded to 15 screens in July 1997. Marcus Theatres took over operation in 1999 and total seats 1,166
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 121 SuperScreen DLX
Theatre 2, 3, 6 and 7 47
Theatre 4 and 5 59
Theatre 8 82
Theatre 9 39
Theatre 10 86
Theatre 11 44
Theatre 12 60
Theatre 13 113
Theatre 14 54
Theatre 15 261 UltraScreen DLX
XL at AMC just installed in theatres 14 and 17
Seating Capactiy:
Theatre 1, 9, 10,11, 13, 18, 20, 21, 22 and 30 92 seats
Theatre 2, 12, 19 and 29 155 seats
Theatre 3, 4, 27 and 28 106 seats
Theatre 5, 8 23 and 26 186 seats
Theatre 6 and 25 249 seats
Theatre 7 and 24 289 seats
Theatre 12 and 19 155 seats
Theatre 14 423 seats XL at AMC
Theatre 15 213 seats Dolby Cinema at AMC
Theatre 16 271 seats IMAX with Laser
Theatre 17 422 seats XL at AMC
AMC Houston 8 actually got XL at AMC installed in theatre #5
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 4 53
Theatre 2 and 3 81
Theatre 5 167 XL at AMC
Theatre 6 214
Theatre 7 165
Theatre 8 199
According to management Imax Laser opening in theatre 23 in November. The remaining 5 screens won’t get upgraded to recliners, due to going over budget. It happened in the future. All other renovations completed