BLOOMINGTON - Wehrenberg Theatres has its eye on the future as it nears the opening day for its Galaxy 14 Cine in west Bloomington. | Photo gallery

The $15 million theater at 1111 Wylie Drive opens Friday with a variety of matinee and evening films, including a Disney digital 3-D showing of "Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds." Later during the opening weekend, Sunday's Super Bowl will come to life on the theater's mega-screen.

Experiences like the digital concert and television broadcast point to way to the movie theater industry's future, said Kelly Hoskins, director of marketing for St. Louis-based Wehrenberg Theatres.

"We've become an entertainment center instead of just movies," Hoskins said Monday during a tour of the new facility.

Bill Menke, Wehrenberg director of facilities, wants the theater - with its movies, food and lobby game area - to be an entertainment facility for the Twin City region.

"We hope that our guests will come in and discover it's a fun place to be," Menke said.

Part of the "fun for the family and the kids" that Menke mentions includes movies on 14 screens. Auditoriums in the 61,000-square foot theater range from about 120 to 450 seats, for a total of about 2,900 seats, Menke said. The largest theater contains a 25-foot-by 60-foot mega-screen.

"It's like putting a drive-in theater indoors," Menke said.

Rocking seats in the mega-screen auditorium are on 18-inch risers. Other auditoriums have 12-inch and 18-inch stadium seating, as well as rocking or lounge-chair "snuggle-seats," modeled after the Ford Mustang's bucket seats, with fold-up armrests, Menke said. Viewers have even more comfort with plenty of leg room in the 48-inch space between rows, he said.

Movie-goers can sit anywhere in any of the theaters and have a good view of the screen with Galaxy 14 Cine's stadium seating, Hoskins said.

"It's for a totally unobstructed view of the screen," she said.

The theater is equipped with digital technology, though it also has a few film projectors for the occasional movie not yet available for digital, Menke said.

Families will find more fun with games like Dance Dance Revolution and Skee-Ball in the lobby. In additional to the traditional popcorn and nachos, finger foods are available at Fred's Food. Items on the menu include chicken tenders, buffalo wings, pizza, toasted ravioli, cheeseburgers, french fries, funnel cakes and ice cream.

Groups also can rent the theater for lock-in events, such as after-prom parties, Hoskins said. Businesses can use an auditorium for a power point sales presentation. Eventually, the smallest 120-seat room might be ideal for a game room where people can play video games on the 36-foot wide screen, she said.

Standard admission prices are $8.50 in the evening and $6.50 for a matinee for adults, $6 for children and seniors and $6.25 for students with an ID. Mega-screen and digital 3-D admission prices are $10.50 in the evening and $8.50 during the day for adults and $8 for children and seniors. Students pay $8.25 for digital 3-D showings.

Before its weekend opening, Galaxy 14 Cine also will have a charity night for the Salvation Army from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday. People who donate five can ned goods can see a free movie, Hoskins said.