The MJR Theater made its IMAX screen debut on its Troy Cinema on Friday, followed by a screening of “Magic Four: The First Step” on Michigan's largest laser IMAX screen.
Troy's location marks MJR's second IMAX screen in 10 Michigan's theaters. The first of MJR Southgate opened in November 2023.
Anthony Taylor, director of marketing at MJR Theater, said the movie chain was “very happy” with the results of Southgate Movieer Gotor's first IMAX screen. Success makes it just a question of “where can we open another one?”.
“Troy feels like an ideal place,” he said.
Before the renovation, Troy was the only MJR location without any reclining chairs in any theater.
“We really tried to find ways to get a recliner in this building, and it was a great opportunity to not only bring the biggest and best, but to eventually put the recliner here,” said Joel Kincaid, vice president of operations at MJR.
The modified theater has 300 “zero gravity” recliners. But the real appeal is a larger screen than life span, powered by dual 4K lasers, full dynamic sound, increased brightness and deeper blacks. The selected rows offer VIP seats with heated lounge chairs, side tables, storage compartments, and more.
“The huge screen, breathtaking IMAX quality makes it the perfect place to witness some of the most epic and visually stunning moments in film history,” Kincaid said. “Whether it's Pandora's breathtaking landscape, the epic battles of 'Avengers', or the emotional depth of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” , Imax takes storytelling to the next level.”
The new theater is hard to miss, with the letters of “IMAX” over 2 feet tall to greet visitors. Once you enter the lobby, the screen is located opposite the bar area at the Eight Theatres.
After cutting ribbons with Troy Mayor Ethan Baker, Kincaid describes what cutting-edge technology means for Troy and the larger Detroit area.
“You're taking a risk, it's a visual sight that swallows up your senses and takes you to the heart of the story,” he said.
Baker presented Kincaid with an award for MJR having the largest laser IMAX screen on the Detroit Metro. The unveiling ended with some film trailers and inaugural screenings of the theater.
According to the company, Fantastic Four: The First Step is just one of eight IMAX movies this summer, driving IMAX's market share in addition to movies such as Superman, F1 Movie and Jurassic World Rebirth.
“With a very strong start to the third quarter, IMAX has taken its performance to the next level of the year,” IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said in a press release for the second quarter of 2025.
MJR Troy is located at 100 E. Maple Road. For more information, visit mjrtheatres.com.
bdolata@detroitnews.com