The vacant “Cinemagic” cinema in Sturbridge it had been announced this summer that it would reopen with new ownership and a new name: Entertainment Cinemas Sturbridge.
But now we have a date.
Theater owners announced on Facebook Friday that will open on January 15.
Theater owner Bill Hanney previously told MassLive that the theater will feature reclining chairs, a full kitchen and chairside food delivery.
The renovation will also include a bar, new carpeting and an updated color scheme to match Hanney’s other luxury entertainment theaters in New England.
“All the locations have been reimagined with new chairs,” he said. “Theaters have transformed in the last 15 years: from stadium rocket chairs to these big, big chairs that recline. Your head goes back and your feet go up.”
The movie theater has eight theaters and holds about 1,000 guests, but once the new and improved seats are added to the space, “it will bring our capacity from 1,000 to about 500,” Hanney said.
Cinemagic, that the Telegram & Gazette reported opened in 2012, it closed in February 2021 after its previous owner, Mark Adam, died, Hanney said.
While guests will still have the option of grabbing a classic combination of soda, candy and popcorn, the kitchen will expand those offerings to include pub-style food, such as fresh-baked pizza and house-made nachos (not those with machine, press button cheese). ).
“We do it more stealthily so we don’t bother people,” Hanney said. “The waitresses will appear like magic.”
He said the upgraded seats have turntables attached to the chairs for a comfortable and convenient experience.
“They’re wood, they’re grainy, and they’re just beautiful. … It’s just fun. That’s the way to watch a movie,” Hanney said.
Reporting by MassLive reporter Dallas Gagnon was used in this article.