Will Syracuse moviegoers be able to see the holiday season’s biggest movies on the biggest screen possible?
The IMAX theater at Syracuse’s Regal Destiny USA is currently closed for renovations. No reopening date is currently set, leaving some fans to wonder if they’ll be able to see “Wicked for Good” (opening Nov. 21) and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (Dec. 19) in the super-widescreen format.
An employee who answered the phone at Regal Destiny said they hope to reopen the IMAX theater in November or December, but couldn’t say for sure if it’d be ready for the “Wicked” sequel. Fans can currently buy advance tickets online for the IMAX version of “Wicked for Good” in other cities (such as Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester & IMAX), but not Syracuse.
That means Central New York cinephiles will likely miss out on other upcoming IMAX releases like “Tron: Ares” (Oct. 10) Glen Powell’s “The Running Man” reboot (Nov. 14) and a 40th anniversary screening of “Back to the Future” (Oct. 31). All of them will, however, be available in standard format at Regal Destiny.
syracuse.com | The Post-Standard has reached out to Destiny USA and Regal for additional comment.
Regal Cinemas and Destiny USA first announced plans to update all of its theaters in the spring. Not all theaters are being renovated at the same time, so Regal Destiny has remained open the whole time with a limited number of screens available during each phase.
The IMAX theater is currently being updated with luxury plush reclining seats and state-of-the-art laser projection. Other theaters, including the RPX theater, are also getting plush recliners and advanced laser projection for improved picture quality.
The 4DX theater is being replaced with ScreenX, a multi-projector 270-degree panoramic viewing experience with images shown on a main screen and side walls. The immersive new technology is currently available at Regal Crossgates Mall in Albany and Apple Cinemas in Greece, near Rochester.
Regal Destiny is also being updated with a new concession area featuring expanded food and beverage offerings, including a bar serving beer and wine. Other changes include enhancements for the lobby, corridors and restrooms; upgraded signage; and more self-service kiosks for buying tickets.
“With these major renovations, Regal at Destiny USA will set a new standard for moviegoing in the Central New York Region,” Destiny USA said in a statement.
“Wicked for Good” and “Avatar 3″ are expected to be two of the year’s biggest movies.
“Wicked,” based on Chittenango native L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” books, was one of the top five movies at the 2024 box office. Anticipation is high for the follow-up film starring Ariana Grande as Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash,” is the third movie in James Cameron’s “Avatar” film series. The original 2009 film is the highest grossing movie of all time with nearly $3 billion at the global box office, and the 2022 sequel (“Avatar: The Way of Water”) is the third most popular of all time with $2.3 billion worldwide (after “Avengers: Endgame”).
