The Saskatchewan Science Centre and the Kramer IMAX Theatre announced Friday that the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," will be featured as a first-run picture at Regina's IMAX. That means it will open at the same time as it does at mainstream theatres.

It's the first time the Kramer IMAX has been able to show a true Hollywood blockbuster as a first-run film. In the past Harry Potter movies have been featured, but only after they've run their course in the big movie houses.

"It's a really exciting time," admitted Sandy Baumgartner, the Science Centre's executive director. She said the staff at the centre has been waiting for word on the deal for quite some time.

The studio that produced the movie negotiated with theatres to allow IMAX versions to be shown as part of the film's initial run.

"The Saskatchewan Science Center is a non-profit organization and (the Kramer IMAX Theatre is) an independent organization, so we're not tied to any national chains or anything. So it will be really good for the bottom line but it will also be really good for the community," said Baumgartner.

The film is expected to be a monster after its predecessor, "The Dark Knight," broke box office records. The latest chapter is the third part of a trilogy of movies created by acclaimed director Christopher Nolan.

His dark, gritty version of the landmark comic book character helped give the franchise new life in recent years.

The theatre is shifting its hours to accomodate what Baumgartner expects will be heavy demand. "The Dark Knight Rises" will play alongside the usual documentary features, but there will be enough staff to get the blockbuster on the screen four times a day for the first two weeks of its run.

A pre-sale will be held Monday morning at 10:00am. The show opens July 20th.

Edited by CJME's Lisa Schick