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PORTAGE TOWNSHIP - Regular moviegoers in the Houghton/Hancock area once again have more than four movie screens available to them for their viewing needs after the reopening Friday of the theater in the Copper Country Mall.

Scott Koran, chief executive officer of Marshfield, Wis.-based Rogers Cinema, said his company recently completed a deal for the former Carmike Copper Country Cinema 5.

"The subject was broached around the time the Carmike theaters closed," he said.

Although the former owners stopped showing movies in August, Koran said he couldn't negotiate a deal to take over the theater until the Carmike lease expired at the end of October.

Part of making the move involved coming to an arrangement with mall owners, Beachwood, Ohio-based Developers Diversified, Koran said.

"Their price was agreeable," he said. "The mall was really great. We came to a deal pretty quickly."

Koran said his company also worked out a deal to buy equipment, such as projectors, sound equipment, snack machines and theater seats.

Rogers Cinema had a minority interest in the Pic Theater in Hancock and the Lode Theater in Houghton, Koran said, but the company recently took over those two establishments, also.

"We bought them outright in April," he said.

The two theaters have a total of four screens, and Koran said since Carmike closed its theaters, there weren't enough screens available to the community.

"Houghton/Hancock was underserved by four screens," he said.

Three of the five screens in the mall theater opened Friday, Koran said, and he intends to open the other two soon.

"My goal is to have it running by Dec. 10th or 12th," he said. "This is heavy movie-going time."

Koran said some changes have been made in the theater already, such as painting, the installation of new drapes and a new digital sound system.

The movie screens in the mall theaters were installed about two years ago and are in "great shape," Koran said. He's working to get digital projectors, Koran said, and he hopes to have them installed by the end of 2009.

Kevin Ericson, Copper Country Mall manager, said he's pleased the mall theaters are joining the existing local theater management.

"We were certainly glad Rogers Cinema was able to take over at the mall at the conclusion of Carmike's lease," he said.

Erickson said he was surprised how quickly the theaters were able to open.

"They came in Monday or Tuesday last week, and were up and running Friday," he said.

Koran said Rogers Cinema has 52 screens in 10 cities, most of which are in central and southern Wisconsin.

The Copper Country Mall, Lode and Pic theaters are their only locations in Michigan.

"This is a big deal for us to launch in the mall," he said.

Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com.