The Cinemark Spanish Fork and XD opened on 14 December 2017, just in time for the opening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The eight-screen theater seats about 800.  Each auditorium offers Luxury Loungers, reserved seating and “a state-of-the-art viewing environment” with large wall-to-wall screens, enhanced sound systems, and 4k digital projectors by Barco.  Several auditoriums have RealD 3D capability. Cinemark’s Luxury Loungers are plush, oversized, electric-powered recliners with cup holders and footrests.[2,3]

Auditorium 8 features Cinemark XD, “the No. 1 private label Premium Large Format (PLF) in the world with the largest screen and custom surround sound.”   Madelyn Rybczyk, marketing manager for Cinemark said, “When you are in the XD auditorium, everything is heightened.  It’s turned up a few notches. You’re immersed in the experience that’s going on in the screen. It’s almost like you’re part of the movie.”^[1][2]

Instead of a box office, the theater has self-serve digital kiosks, with customer service attendees available to assist when necessary. Tickets can also be purchased online and through the Cinemark app.  ^[1][2]

“People come and they are happy about the reserved seating,” Rybczyk said. “They actually have time to go to the concession stand and take their time picking out what snack they want. There’s not that rush to get to the movie.”^[1]

“Our Spanish Fork Cinemark Theatre offers Utah moviegoers an upscale, luxurious atmosphere, perfect to take in Hollywood’s blockbusters with friends and family this holiday season,” said Mark Zoradi, Cinemark CEO. “With the recent introduction of our Movie Club membership program and the opening of this exceptional new location, we’re thrilled to offer guests the best possible value and experience.”^[2]

“Utahns love the movies and we are trying to make the experience overall a better one,” Rybczyk said. “We show the latest and greatest movies. We have the digital technology. We are converting the majority of our theaters to the luxury loungers. We just want to give them a really good movie experience whenever they come to one of our movie theaters.”^[1]

The Cinemark Spanish Fork and XD was an important anchor for an expansion that would add 245,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to the Canyon Creek Development.[1,2]

“For years and years as we’ve talked with different restaurants they made it very clear they want to be in close proximity to some entertainment like a theater,” said Dave Anderson, director of economic development for Spanish Fork. ^[1]

Canyon Creek development at the intersection of Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 6 had been in the works for more than a decade.  Progress took much longer than planned because the recession of 2008 forced many major retailers to pull out for financial reasons. ^[1]  Cinemark listed a new 12-screen theater for Spanish Fork on its "Grand Openings" web page in June 2013,^[3] but later removed the entry.  The theater was eventually built with only eight screens.

The “creek” of Canyon Creek is “little more than a trickle of water running through a ditch.”  The developer plans to eventually turn that into a visual commodity to complement outdoor eating areas. A 2.5 mile trail will also loop around the development.^[1]

The Cinemark Spanish Fork and XD replaces the Spanish 8 Theatres, which closed in 2016 and were demolished as part of the redevelopment of Canyon Creek.

Cinemark is a leading domestic and international motion picture exhibitor.  As of 30 September 2017, it operated 533 theaters with 5,957 screens in 41 U.S. states, Brazil, Argentina, and 13 other Latin American countries.^[2]

1. "Spanish Fork Cinemark to open Thursday, in time for Star Wars", Daily Herald, 13 December 2017
2. "Cinemark Announces Grand Opening of New 8-Screen Theatre in Spanish Fork", Cinemark USA, 14 December 2017
3. "Spanish Fork's Canyon Creek development expansion to include theater, stores, restaurants", Daily Herald, 23 March 2017