The Virginia Air & Space Science Center faces a substantial cost to keep its IMAX theater operating after its current support arrangement ends. The Virginian-Pilot reported that IMAX told the center in February that its system had reached the end of its service life and would not be maintained after the contract expires in 2028. The paper put the cost of a new system at nearly $1 million: The Virginian-Pilot.
That financial question now coincides with a trial run of a Hollywood release. The center plans to show Dune: Part 3 in 70 mm IMAX for four weeks beginning Dec. 18, with an advance screening scheduled for Dec. 1, according to The Virginian-Pilot. The date here follows the advance-screening date in the supplied Pilot report.
A test, not a programming shift
The center is using the Dune engagement to assess audience interest, the Pilot reported. Spokesperson Meghan Dincler told the newspaper that the screening does not mean the venue has committed to regular Hollywood bookings; the center is still focused on its educational mission. The Pilot also reported that Dincler said the center may be able to present educational films and feature-length movies on the system: The Virginian-Pilot.
According to the Pilot, the center selected Dune because it was made specifically for IMAX. Dincler also pointed to interest in 70 mm screenings after Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey as a reason the center reconsidered bringing back feature films. Separately, CNBC reported that conversation about the format in social and news media approximately doubled over five days beginning July 17: CNBC.
What the format’s reach tells us
The available screen count is tied to a particular movie, not necessarily to every theater capable of showing 70 mm IMAX. USA Today counted 25 U.S. theaters showing The Odyssey in that format, a figure cited by the Pilot. CNBC reported that IMAX listed 25 U.S. and 16 international venues for the film. Those figures describe The Odyssey’s release, rather than establishing the total number of existing 70 mm IMAX screens.
The format has also commanded higher prices and strong demand for that release. CNBC reported an average adult opening-weekend ticket price of $27.77 for The Odyssey in 70 mm IMAX, 81% above the average across formats. Variety reported that IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said some theaters had sold out into the film’s fifth week: Variety.
The center’s existing lineup
The Pilot reported that the Hampton theater continues to screen The Blue Angels, Into America’s Wild and America’s Musical Journey alongside its regular educational programming. For Dune, adult tickets are $22; tickets for children 18 and under or students are $18, and seniors 65 and older pay $21, according to the newspaper. The center’s announcement of the feature-film return was also reported by The Virginian-Pilot.
