The Emagine Batavia in Batavia, Illinois is opening to the public June 1, 2023 after an extensive remodeling project that upgraded every inch of the former Goodrich Randall 15 IMAX.

Located on Randall Road between Fabyan Parkway and Main Street, the former theater closed in March 2020 after the bankruptcy of parent company Goodrich Quality Theaters, Inc. and then it never reopened following the subsequent nationwide theater closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Based in Michigan, Emagine Entertainment is the ninth largest theater chain in the country, with 29 locations in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The company offers a luxury movie-going experience, with heated luxury recliners, unique concession items, and other amenities that elevate going to the movies above the status quo. We have enjoyed attending movies at the Emagine Geneva Lakes in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and this location appears to build on everything we like and added even more.

Rather than just reopen a closed theater after a bit of cleaning, Emagine Entertainment decided to undertake an extensive remodeling project instead. We were invited recently to tour the building still under construction. Given that opening night was less than three weeks away, workers were everywhere, installing tile floors, hanging screens, wiring the projection booth equipment and more. I was assured by President & Chairman Paul Glantz that everything was on schedule and they were looking forward to welcoming customers on June 1.

The Tour

The exterior, as seen in the photo above and the many photos that we have on the Photo Gallery page for the theater, has received a new paint scheme and new signage is forthcoming. The large lobby will have a full bar with a fireplace and a player piano where customers can enjoy a drink and conversation before and after a movie. At the back of the lobby is full-width concession stand, which will offer several flavors of popcorn, made-to-order pizzas from a brick oven, and other food items.

The large lobby with the concession stand in the background

The concession area is located where there used to be four small auditoriums. Flanking each side of the concession stand is a beverage station that will have Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, and a hallway leading to the auditoriums. If go to the right, you'll find the new "High Roller Room," which offers four lanes of Brunswick Duckpin Social® bowling featuring Spark®, a full-service bar, shuffleboard, video games, and pool tables.

One of the two Screening Rooms

Every auditorium in this theater will feature heated powered luxury recliners, with Emagine's own "Cuddle Chairs," which lend a unique way to enjoy watching movies from the front row. Every room is equipped with Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound, with some capable of Dolby Atmos immersive sound. Two private "Screening Rooms" provide a great way to have a child's birthday party or other special event, with 20 seats (the same powered recliners) and a table and seating area which would be ideal for eating and other activities before and even during the movie. A flat panel display mounted on the wall will display the same content as on the main screen.

A Big Screen and an Even Bigger Screen

The former theater had an IMAX screen, which is now going to be one of Emagine's "EMX" auditoriums. That auditorium was impressive enough, as most IMAX auditoriums are (as long as you don't compare them to the original IMAX auditoriums from years gone by). However, Emagine decided that it could do one better, and it built a new "Super EMX" auditorium behind the concession stand which makes the former IMAX auditorium into its little brother.

The extra-large Super EMX auditorium

According to the company, this new "Super EMX" auditorium will be "the largest Cinemascope® screen in the state of Illinois, measuring over 96 feet wide." A laser-powered 4K digital projection system will supply the massive picture while a 70-channel Dolby Atmos sound system will immerse audiences on the audio side. The room is still under construction and will open a few weeks later, but I think it will be worth the wait. It's seriously large. I'm a fan of big rooms, big screens, and big sound systems, and this theater may finally be the replacement for the long-closed McClurg Court in Chicago that I enjoyed many times.

More Photos in the Photo Gallery

We have more than 50 photos of the theater that you can view on the Photo Gallery for the Emagine Batavia. We look forward to visiting the theater again to see how it all turned out and to enjoy a movie or two!

Showtimes and Tickets

We don't have showtimes yet, as opening day is still more than two weeks away. Keep an eye on the Showtimes page for updates!

Until then, moviegoers in the area will need to visit one of the other nearby theaters, including the Arcada Theatre and the Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 in Saint Charles, as well as the Cinemark Tinseltown USA in North Aurora. The multiplexes should be on notice that there is a new movie theater coming to town, and competition is about to heat up!