Theater open after EPIC wait

MOUNT DORA — The wait to grab a tub of popcorn and watch a flick in Mount Dora for the first time in more than four decades may have seemed like infinity to some.

Lo and behold, “Infinity” is what they got when the theater finally opened.

More than four years passed since EPIC Theatres announced plans for a multiplex off U.S. Highway 441 behind Target. When the doors finally opened Friday night — eight days late — moviegoers’ patience was rewarded with an opportunity to see the record-breaking blockbuster “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“Now Open!” EPIC Theatres’ website announced Friday. The DeLand-based chain’s website listed five other movies in addition to “Avengers” showing over the weekend. EPIC is the first movie house in Mount Dora since The Princess, at 130 W. Fifth Ave., shut down in the 1970s.

EPIC announced plans for a Mount Dora theater in February 2014, generating excitement among residents in the Mount Dora-Eustis-Tavares area whose best option for going to a movie theater has been at the Lake Square Mall in Leesburg. Otherwise, they could take a longer drive to The Villages, Clermont, Sanford or Altamonte Springs.

But after the initial fanfare, the project took on a turtle’s pace. People shopping at Target or the Walmart next door were teased by an EPIC “future home” sign leading to the location of the theater but saw little noticeable progress other than site clearing. Construction took about a year and last month EPIC president Frank DeMarsh chalked up the delay to complications in acquiring the 17-acre site and permits.

Residents anxiously awaited the planned April 26 opening, but outstanding issues with the city led to a holdup. On Thursday, city spokeswoman Lisa McDonald provided to the Sentinel a list of 11 issues that were still unresolved as of Wednesday. They included having hydrants flow-tested by a fire-protection contractor, painting of fire lanes and having evacuation maps. On Saturday, two hours before the first shows, workers were busy installing landscaping in the parking lot.

DeMarsh couldn’t be reached for comment, but those issues apparently were resolved as the theater opened Friday night. It has two 70-foot-wide screens, leather electronically-controlled recliner seats with foot rests plus digital sound. For those who want more than candy and soft drinks, EPIC offers a bar serving beer and wine in the lobby.

Also playing at EPIC are “Rampage,” with Dwayne Johnson; “I Feel Pretty,” with Amy Schumer; “Overboard”; “A Quiet Place”; and “Chappaquiddick.”