IMAX theater coming to AMC River East 21 in Streeterville; 70mm capability unclear

An IMAX theater is coming to AMC River East 21 at 322 E. Illinois St. in Streeterville, according to building permit records.

The permits show that one auditorium at the theater is being converted for IMAX capability. No opening timeline has been made public, and the permit records do not say whether the screen will be equipped to show 70mm IMAX film.

The new screen would add a third IMAX theater in Chicago. The city's two existing locations are at AMC Roosevelt Collection in the South Loop and Regal City North, on the border of Bucktown and Logan Square.

Chicago film fans have seen independent venues close in recent years, and questions remain about how downtown cinemas will recover. An IMAX screen at River East 21 would put one of the city's few large-format options closer to the Loop, Streeterville hotels and lakefront attractions.

IMAX screens are larger and use projection systems designed to show expanded image areas and higher-resolution presentations than standard auditoriums. The format is often used for major studio releases, including Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" franchise.

Local film enthusiasts are watching whether the new River East location will include 70mm IMAX capability. Unlike regular 70mm film, which runs vertically through a projector with five perforations per frame, IMAX 70mm film runs horizontally with 15 perforations per frame. That format produces the highest resolution and image clarity available in commercial movie exhibition.

Across the United States, there are about 350 IMAX theaters but only 25 with 70mm capability, according to Time Out. Los Angeles and New York have the highest concentration of IMAX screens, and Los Angeles has the most 70mm IMAX screens.

In the Chicago area, the only theater currently listed with an active 70mm IMAX projector is Cinemark Seven Bridges and IMAX in Woodridge, Illinois. That suburban location has been the regional destination for 70mm IMAX screenings.

AMC River East 21 operates near the Chicago Riverwalk, Navy Pier and several high-rise residential buildings. The theater has 21 screens, and converting one auditorium to IMAX would give the complex a premium screen it has not previously offered.

The permit records do not identify a construction completion date or a possible opening. AMC and IMAX have not announced programming plans or whether the theater will open with a 70mm engagement.

Until those details are released, the only confirmed change is the permit activity inside one auditorium at 322 E. Illinois St.