Pioneer slated to open May 1
CENTER TWP — The Pioneer Drive-In on Route 8 in Center Township is expected to open May 1.
Epic Theaters, a Florida-based company that owns the drive-in, originally planned for 2014 to be the last year of operation because of the need to upgrade its 35 mm film projectors to digital technology.
However, Clint DeMarsh, vice president of Epic, said the company expects movies will continue to be released on film this year due to an agreement Kodak recently reached with six major Hollywood studios.
“It’s all contingent on the studios allowing the films to be distributed to drive-ins,” DeMarsh said, adding he didn’t think that would be a problem.
Kodak will continue to provide motion picture film to 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney, Warner Bros. Entertainment, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures for their movie and television productions.
The agreement followed a bankruptcy filing by Kodak.
“It’s a benefit for drive-ins,” DeMarsh said of the deal, which was finalized Feb. 4.
He is hopeful enough movies will be released on film to run all five screens at the drive-in.
“If not, we’ll run some combination,” he said.
While film looks to be an option for the drive-in this year, DeMarsh said Epic is still exploring the possibility of converting to digital projection.
“We want to find a reasonably priced, used projector,” he said.
A new digital projector would cost more than $70,000 per screen.
“They’re expensive,” DeMarsh said.
The largest screen at the site is 90 feet wide.
The Pioneer Drive-In is the last drive-in that Epic Theaters owns. It operates six theaters in Florida and North Carolina.
The Clearview Mall Cinemas, also in Center Township, closed in March last year due to the same problem with digital projection. The theater still is empty.
It was estimated it would cost nearly $300,000 to install digital projectors on its four screens.
