In a world of chain movie theaters, one man had a dream.

In November 2006, Penn Ketchum opened the independent Penn Cinemas. This summer, he'll finish what he started.

The Manheim Township movie theater will begin a $2 million expansion and upgrade in March that will add four new auditoriums and bring digital projection to its four largest screens.

Ketchum, managing partner of Penn Cinema Management Co., which operates the movie house, said the new screens — with a total of 500 extra seats — should be ready for the July 18 opening of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight."

The additions were part of the original plan for the theater near Lancaster Airport. Completing them now — as well as adding digital projection — reflects a desire to continue to offer a first-class movie experience here, Ketchum said.

"We're not going to sit back and just pat ourselves on the back. We think these two projects are an important part of delivering what our customers want," he said.

Penn Cinema, just east of Lititz Pike at 541 Airport Road, is already the second-largest cineplex in the county, trailing only the 16-screen Regal Cinemas in Manor Shopping Center.

The four new auditoriums on the eastern side of the Penn Cinema complex will bring to 14 the number of screens at the movie house. The roughly 8,000-square-foot addition will bring the cinema's size to 50,000 square feet.

Plans for the extra seats were approved by Manheim Township officials when Penn Cinema was first proposed.

But because the addition now divides the 500 extra seats among four auditoriums instead of two, Penn Cinema will ask Manheim Township commissioners on Monday night to approve that change.

The cineplex's lobby, restrooms and parking lot were designed to handle the extra capacity, so no new such amenities are needed, Ketchum said.

The theater house has four full-time and 55 part-time employees and Ketchum said the addition won't require more workers.

Ketchum said the conversion to digital projection will put Penn Cinema on the cutting edge of movie technology.

Ketchum said he anticipates showing digital movies on his four biggest screens by May, at a cost of $100,000 per screen for equipment and installation. All screens will be digital-capable by May 2009 — in time for the expected release of the new Star Trek movie, he said.

Digital projection results in a sharper and crisper picture but Ketchum said its major benefit is that it doesn't deteriorate over time like film can.

Ketchum said the movie house will keep its old film projectors and can use them for showing old movies where the scratches and blips of film can be part of the charm.

After the addition is complete, Penn Cinema will have four auditoriums with 100 seats, four with 125 seats, four with about 225 seats and two with some 275 seats. Each theater boasts stadium seating.

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