Kapolei theaters planned

New 15-screen complex will seat up to 3,000, making it one of the island's largest cinemas

The planned Kapolei Commons mall will be giving its Leeward Oahu rival mall some cinematic competition.

The developers of Kapolei Commons, MacNaughton Group and Kobayashi Group, yesterday announced that Regal Entertainment has signed a letter of intent to open a 60,500-square-foot, 15-screen movie house that holds 3,000 people. Regal already operates four theater complexes in Hawaii.

The announcement comes just a few months after DeBartolo Development began circulating a site plan for its larger Makana Alii project that included an AMC Entertainment theater complex, which would be that chain's first in the state.

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Competition for center stage among two planned Kapolei malls is heating up with the announcement yesterday that Kapolei Commons has signed a letter of intent with Regal Entertainment to open a 15-screen, state-of-the-art movie complex.

The developer of the 47-acre, 605,000-square-foot Kapolei Commons open air mall in West Oahu announced today that the Regal Cinemas theater complex is slated to open in the Fall 2009. Regal Cinemas' Kapolei Commons Stadium 15 will occupy 60,500 square feet and will hold 3,000 people, making it one of Oahu's largest theater complexes.

Earlier this year, Florida-based DeBartolo Development began showing prospective tenants a site plan for its Makana Alii mall project -- slated to be Hawaii's second largest shopping center -- that included an AMC Entertainment theater complex among its anchor tenants.

The Makana Alii site plan designated a 55,800-square-foot space for AMC Entertainment, which has interests in 377 theaters worldwide.

Regal operates in 526 locations including four Hawaii, including Honolulu, Kaneohe and Pearl City on Oahu and one in Keauhou-Kona on the Big Island.

MacNaughton Group and Kobayashi Group, developers of Kapolei Commons, are set to begin site work on the MK Kapolei Commons LLC project this month. The first phase of the mall is expected to open in spring of 2009, with the second phase and movie theater opening that autumn.

Along with the movie complex, Kapolei Commons will offer shoppers more than 100 retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues.

"We're thrilled to include Regal Cinemas as part of the Kapolei Commons experience that brings together the best concepts in entertainment, shopping and dining," said Eric Tema, partner with MacNaughton Group.

"Regal Cinemas Kapolei Commons Stadium 15 will provide West and Central Oahu moviegoers with all the latest in theater amenities including digital projection in every auditorium and digital surround sound systems that bring the movies to life," said Dick Westerling, Regal Entertainment Group senior vice president of marketing and advertising.