Movies returning to Pemberton after two years with no theater

Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 18, 2008

Lights, cameras and perhaps a little action will return to the Vicksburg entertainment scene after a nearly two-year absence.

A four-screen movie theater will return to Pemberton Square mall, with a grand opening set for mid-November, a statement from Pemberton general manager Renee Williams said Friday.

To be managed by Wilcox Theatres, the new cinema will be housed in the former Pemberton Cinema 4, which closed in December 2006. Renovations to the old theater space will involve the addition of plush seating and wall-to-wall screens projecting films amplified by DTS Surround Sound. The lobby and concession areas are also slated for enhancements, Williams said.

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“We are extremely excited to welcome Wilcox Theatres to Pemberton Square mall,” Williams said. “Once completed, moviegoers will enjoy the ultimate entertainment experience at Wilcox Theatres. This addition demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing the community with the best destination for retail and entertainment.”

The announcement culminates a months-long effort to re-establish the entertainment venue at the mall. Several attempts in the past to upgrade the former cinema did not materialize before it was shuttered, leaving Vicksburg without a movie theater for the first time in a century. The nearest theater is in Clinton, about a half-hour east of Vicksburg.

It would be the first major happening at Pemberton since the purchase of McRae’s by Belk Stores Services Inc. in 2005. City officials have negotiated with the mall’s owners, Tennessee-based CBL & Associates Properties Inc., on a new layout for the 23-year-old retail shopping outlet for several years, though nothing has come to fruition.

While work has begun inside the old space, located in the rear portions of the mall, Williams said details such as show times are being worked out.

“We’re still awaiting a movie schedule from the company,” Williams said.

“Wilcox Theatres is pleased to join Pemberton Square and bring the movie-going experience back to Vicksburg,” Wilcox CEO David Wilcox said. “Wilcox Theatres is focused on making our theatres a community entertainment venue offering our patrons the best in customer service, new programming, a fresh new look, great food and other amenities for the entire family to enjoy. We look forward to serving Vicksburg and surrounding communities.”

Wilcox was founded in December 2007 with a focus on locating theaters in small communities in the South, said the company’s Web site. Its lone property is Washington Square Cinema 4 in Bastrop, La., about 85 miles west of Vicksburg, northwest of Monroe.

Its CEO has managed theaters for United Artists, Regal Entertainment Group and Excellent Theatre. For the past three years, he has been vice president of New Orleans-based Southern Theatres, which has 18 venues in nine states.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com.