Overland Park’s new Cinetopia 17
Cinetopia, a small regional northwest based theater company, is currently contructing an ultra luxurious movie complex in the new Prairiefire at Lionsgate center at 135th street and Nall in Overland Park.
With a motto of “Cinema-Food-Wine,” Cinetopia’s OVERLAND PARK 17 should rank as one of the plushest, most upscale motion picture entertainment complexes in all of Kansas City.
According to the company’s website and facebook page the OVERLAND PARK 17 will feature three luxurious and premium ways to see a movie.
First in its Cinetopia GLX Auditoriums – with giant 70-80 ft. screens, 4K projection, Dolby Atmos surround sound, extra wide seating and up to a foot of legroom – there’s go-to restaurant food.
Then the Cinetopia Movie Parlors feature suite level amenities including white glove food and beverage service to your seat with unique luxury seating options, 4K projection and Dolby surround sound.
Cinetopia’s Living Room Theaters features the Vinotopia Restaurant, with wine, beer and food service delivered to your seat. And the large screens will be powered by 4K projection with Dolby surround sound.
So when will Cinetopia’s OVERLAND PARK 17 arrive on the scene?
I was unable to confirm an actual date but industry insiders point to early May since that’s the kick-off for the all-important summer movie season—as in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 on May 2.
How will competitors like AMC TOWN CENTER react?
With just over a two mile separation between the two theaters AMC apparently is not taking Cinetopia’s invasion into their backyard lying down.
AMC isn’t commenting on plans for TOWN CENTER since the company is involved with an upcoming stock offering and is in a silent period.
However, it’s no secret that AMC will allegedly will be converting its TOWN CENTER complex to the popular power recliner with footrest seating design that has so totally reversed the fortunes of its WARD PARKWAY THEATRES.
Cinetopia
Auditorium conversions should occur one at a time through the holidays. After that an entire theater wing is expected to receive the treatment.
Will TOWN CENTER lose seating with the transformation?
Definitely.
However moviegoers have endorsed the changes at Ward Parkway and at other nationwide AMC locations with such overwhelming response that it makes tremendous business sense.
AMC addresses theater conversions like the one speculated for TOWN CENTER in its recent Initial Public Offering filing:
“For an industry historically focused on quantity, this reduction in seating capacity could be viewed as counter intuitive and harmful to revenues. Recliners seats typically reduce capacity by 66%. However the quality improvement in the customer experience is driving, on average, a 91% increase in attendance at upgraded theaters.”
It is believed that only TOWN CENTER’s IMAX auditorium will not see a conversion to power recliner and footrest seating.
The entire project is believed to be targeted for completion in early spring—likely ahead of Cinetopia’s grand opening in the market.
Cinetopia
There’s just one more possible thorn in the roses here…..
With only a little more than the two miles separating Cinetopia’s new OVERLAND PARK 17 location and AMC’s mighty TOWN CENTER complex—WILL THESE TWO THEATERS PLAY DAY AND DATE?
In other words will AMC play the same films booked into the new O.P. 17?
And for that matter will Dickinson’s PALAZZO play day and date with its new neighbor just 10 minutes to the east on 135th street?
It should all make for great drama BEHIND the screens.
And for you? Even more choices of top quality motion picture complexes to choose from.
Stay tuned.
So will all this gimmick crap they are offering they won’t have a true IMAX screen?
What a rip off, they’ll probably try and charge you through the teeth for all this baloney. Thanks but no thanks, I’ll stick to Cinemark in Merriam for the cheap prices.
Given the conversion to all digital, true IMAX will be a thing of antiquity within a short time.
That’s your choice. But every so often I prefer to take in a Ponak’s over Taco Bell….
No offense but Ponak’s these days is a pale imitation of what it used to be and not much better than Taco Hell.
Let me get this straight, here Jack is with huge breaking news and a corporate cat fight between three movie titans and Dude is starting a food fight?
See if you can guess what I am now.
Ummmmmmm…..a zit?
AMC could have its hands full with new theater. But they always come out on top. There’s a reason they’ve got the top performing theatres in the nation.
So it’s pretty gutsy for Cinetopia to take them on just up the street from their national headquarters not to mention one of their “guns” in KC.