Brandon gets Imax theater

When the new Harry Potter movie comes out in November, people in the Brandon area will have a chance to view it on a massive new Imax screen that's about to open at AMC Regency 20.

AMC's Imax Experience auditorium will have its grand opening on Friday with "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga' Hoole."

Hometown hero Zach Bonner, who just returned from a walk to Los Angeles to shed light on the plight of homeless youth, and Brandon's Honorary Mayor Lisa Rodriguez, will join the AMC management team at 4 p.m. to kick-start the grand-opening events with an official ticket-tearing ceremony at the theatre.

Free prizes will be given out between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Guests at the theatre will have a chance to spin the prize wheel to win AMC/IMAX prizes, while supplies last.

Dipsy & Doodle Face Painting will be set up for fun face painting for children in attendance. And a balloon animal specialist will be ready to make owl shaped balloons.

The Care Animal Hospital is scheduled to have two live Owls for photo opportunities. And Music Showcase will have a table set up with activities for children to express themselves musically.

The theater is located at 2496 W. Brandon Blvd. in the Regency Square plaza, off State Road 60 across from the Westfield Brandon Mall.

Construction of the Imax theater is part of a joint-venture agreement between AMC and the Imax Corp. to install more than 100 Imax digital projection systems at AMC locations in major U.S. markets.

The experience will be different than what some may expect.

"We're not moving walls and ceilings to put in a gigantic seven-story Imax auditorium," AMC spokesman Justin Scott said. "Our partnership involves a bigger screen and customized audio in the auditorium." Seating will drop from 181 to 155 to make room for the new system.

Imax is removing the stadium seating in the first few rows of Auditorium 8, along with the original screen, said Jackson Myers, of Imax Corp. "We've installed an Imax screen closer to the audience, wall to wall, floor to ceiling and slightly curved. When you combine that geometry with the Imax system, you get an incredibly powerful immersive experience."

It will be one of three built in the Tampa Bay region. AMC also has Imax auditoriums at Veterans Expressway 24 and Woodlands Square 20.

"It's a combination of things that will make this experience completely different than going to a normal theater," Myers said.

"Imax's digital projection system delivers... crystal clear images and larger images," he said.

The Imax proprietary laser-aligned sound system will deliver 10 times more range than a conventional theater. "It makes you feel like you're there," Myers said.