AMC opens new, plush theater in West Hills

In the latest push toward premium cinema, AMC Theatres on Friday will debut a newly-remodeled multiplex in West Hills.

AMC took over the lease of the Laemmle Fallbrook 7 complex in February and said it was working with Fallbrook Center, the shopping center owned and managed by General Growth Properties, to upgrade the theater with improved seating, new sound and digital equipment and an expanded concession menu.

The theater has been closed for renovations since midsummer.

ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll

AMC Fallbrook 7 includes plush power recliners with more leg room than traditional movie theaters, as well as reserved seating and expanded concession offerings.

“The best possible guest experience is at the heart of everything we do,’’ said Mark McDonald, executive vice president of development at AMC. He said the the theater will play both mainstream and independent films.

AMC, the nation’s second-largest theater chain, which has been beefing up its presence in the L.A. market, where it already has about 30 theaters.

PHOTOS: Hollywood Backlot moments

AMC opened its first Southern California dine-in movie theater in Marina del Rey in November and renovated more than 25 theaters nationwide with similar amenities as the West Hills venue. A similar remodel is underway at an AMC theater in the city of Montebello in L.A. County.

The renovations typically cost more than $4 million and are designed to boost attendance by giving patrons an improved experience at the multiplex and a reason to come back.

Although ticket prices will remain the same -- $8 before 6 p.m. and $11 after -- following the opening, AMC indicated that ticket prices could increase after several months to offset the reduction in seating capacity due to the large recliners.

The Leawood, Kan.-based chain, acquired last year by China’s Dalian Wanda Group for $2.6 billion, operates more than 340 theaters, mostly in the U.S. The company recently announced plans that it would seek to raise $400 million from an initial public stock offering.

ALSO:

AMC opens dine-in theater in Marina del Rey

Chinese cinema firm to buy AMC in $2.6 billion deal

Major chains putting the squeeze on indie cinema houses