The Carmike 15 in Columbus, Georgia now has an IMAX screen for its guests to enjoy, according to a press release issued recently by Carmike Cinemas. The new auditorium opened to the public today December 13, 2013, with The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug An IMAX 3D Experience (HFR), and guests purchasing a ticket to one of the shows this weekend will receive a voucher good for "$3 off any Carmike concession combo" until the last showing on Sunday, December 15, 2013.

“With the ongoing expansion of Carmike’s national circuit we are truly delighted to also grow our partnership with IMAX. We remain focused on bringing our valued guests the finest in cutting-edge entertainment and we are especially pleased to bring more premium presentation choices to our own hometown market here in Columbus with The IMAX Experience®,” stated David Passman, President and CEO, Carmike Cinemas.

The theater won't have much competition for moviegoers wanting to see movies in an IMAX screen, as the closest locations playing first-run mainstream movies are all more than 90 minutes away in Macon, Atlanta, and Montgomery, Alabama. The IMAX Patriot Park - National Infantry Museum in Columbus is currently showing the documentaries Jerusalem 3D and We the People.

At first, we thought that the IMAX auditorium was going to replace the theater's BigD big-screen concept auditorium, which was installed in July 2010. BigD is Carmike's version of the upgraded experiences that many theater chains are offering, largely in response to the popularity of mainstream movies in IMAX auditoriums (and the ticket upcharges that come with them). The press release addresses this issue with the following statement:

Carmike’s BigD large format digital experience will remain at the Carmike 15 location, but in conjunction with the opening of the new IMAX auditorium, the BigD will relocate to another large auditorium. The combination of these two uniquely immersive experiences will ensure that guests at this facility will have more choice of premium formats than ever before – in both 2-D and 3-D.

To see when the IMAX and other movies are playing at the Carmike 15, head over to the Showtimes page for all the details!

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• Carmike 15 being converted to IMAX just in time for 'The Hobbit' -- Ledger-Enquirer [Dec 4, 2013]

Source: Carmike Cinemas Press Release