Downtown Chattanooga's Majestic 12 enlarges screen, boosts sound

Saturday, October 29, 2011

CARMIKE FOOTPRINTCarmike has 235 theaters and 2,215 screens in 36 states.

Downtown Chattanooga's Majestic 12 will be one of the few Carmike Cinema theaters nationally to offer a new viewing format featuring a giant screen and upgraded sound system, officials say.

Columbus, Ga.-based Carmike before the yearend will change one of the Majestic auditoriums to its "BigD" format, said Terrell Mayton, the company's marketing director.

The screen will be about three stories tall and more than 60-feet wide, he said. Also, there will be adjustments to the auditorium's sound and projection systems, Mayton said.

"To have BigD is taking it to the next level," he said. "It puts the guest in the center of the movie experience."

Carmike said BigD creates a picture quality with noticeably higher resolution than high definition. In addition, the auditorium will offer high-back leather seats, Mayton said.

He said there will be "a small upcharge" for the auditorium's new features. It will show both 2-D and 3-D movies, Mayton said.

Two years ago, Carmike opened the 12-screen moviehouse downtown to replace its former Bijou theater. The facility, with about 2,280 seats, was developed by the nonprofit downtown redevelopment group River City Co.

River City chief Kim White said Carmike sees the Majestic as a key site. To have Carmike continue to invest in the theater is "a good sign," she said.

White said she's happy with attendance at the theater, though sometimes it gets overlooked in the market.

Last summer, Carmike launched the BigD design in its Carmike 15 complex in Columbus.

Additional sites rolling out BigD include the Thoroughbred 20 in Nashville, the Carmike 15 in Canton, Ga., according to Carmike.

In Cleveland, Tenn., where Carmike plans to open a 12-screen theater in about a year, one of its auditoriums will feature BigD.