THE LOOP — The dine-in movie theater planned for the top floor of the Block 37 mall will open Dec. 17, just in time for the new "Star Wars" flick.
Two employees of the Downtown mall, 108 N. State St., told DNAinfo Chicago that the 11-screen, 4th-floor AMC theater will open Dec. 17, the same day "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" premieres across the AMC chain.
The employees were standing near eight of the new theater's recliner chairs now on display in the mall to promote the cinema.
Plans for the theater's opening were announced last year. Once open, it'll feature a bar and the aforementioned power recliners, which will be reserved, include swivel tables, and allow guests to order food and drinks in the theater from a full menu delivered by a server.
“As the market leader in Chicago and the leader in guest experience, we’re thrilled to announce we’re bringing our guests the amazing AMC Dine-In Theatres concept, which will serve as a perfect complement to our other nearby popular AMC theatres,” Mark McDonald, AMC's executive vice president of development, said in a statement announcing the theater last year. A spokeswoman for the Leawood, Kan.-based chain declined to confirm the theater's opening date, saying it's still on track to open some time next month.
Come Dec. 17, the theater will also be the only big cinema in The Loop. Other Downtown theaters include the AMC River East 21 in Streeterville, another AMC at 600 N. Michigan Ave., and the ShowPlace ICON theater in the South Loop. The Gene Siskel Film Center opened in 2001 at 164 N. State St., but is a non-profit that focuses more on independent and foreign films instead of blockbusters.
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