Petaluma Cinema Bets Really Big Screens Beat Living Rooms: Report

PETALUMA, CA — What can pull people off the couch and back into a movie theater? Besides movies, Petaluma's cinema is wagering that giant screens, immersive technology, and a shared audience can still do what home streaming cannot.

In Petaluma, that's a good bet but one that owners sweetened with a really big screen.

Petaluma moviegoers now have access to IMAX screenings at Boulevard Cinemas after the downtown theater opened a premium auditorium, joining the recently installed ScreenX format.

The upgrades come as theaters continue adapting to changing viewing habits by emphasizing large-format presentations and immersive technology.

ScreenX expands select movies across the side walls of the auditorium, while IMAX features enhanced picture and sound designed for large-screen presentations.

Boulevard Cinemas is owned and operated by Petaluma-based CinemaWest, ounded by Petaluma resident Dave Corkill, which operates 19 theaters in California and Idaho.

Company marketing director Emery O'Leary told the Petaluma Argus-Courierthe improvements were driven by customer demand.

"The Petaluma community loves movies," O'Leary said, adding that many guests, particularly younger audiences, are seeking experiences that differ from watching films at home.

The premium formats represent a significant investment for the company, although CinemaWest did not disclose the cost of the project.

A longtime Petaluma resident, Corkill started in the theater business in 1984 with a single-screen cinema in Cloverdale, according to reports.

The company opened Boulevard Cinemas in 2005 after the closure of Pacific Cinemas in 2001, helping reestablish a downtown movie theater.

The theater has remained open through years of industry changes that have seen several North Bay cinemas close, according to reports.