You don’t need to make the pricey pilgrimage to Phoenix to see movies in IMAX anymore. This Friday, the AMC Loews 15 Theater at the Foothills Mall will be unveiling its new IMAX screen. Here’s what you should know about the new theater:

1. AMC did not build a new auditorium. The theater converted auditorium number 2, one of Foothills’ largest, into the new IMAX auditorium.

2. The new screen is 47 feet, seven inches wide and 24 feet tall. The IMAX auditorium at the Harkins Arizona Mills Theater still has us beat with a screen that’s about eight stories wide and six stories tall.

3. The Foothills Mall also added a custom surround sound system to accommodate the unique size, seating capacity and acoustic paneling of the auditorium.

4. Several rows of seats had to be cut to make room for  the new screen. Theater 2 had 402 seats before the conversion and has 342 seats now. Existing seats were rearranged for the new geometry of the screen. “”Every seat has a better view,”” said Justin Scott, AMC’s director of public relations.

5. In addition to the new screen, sound system and IMAX Digital Projection System, the conversion also involved a cosmetic overhaul, adding new signs and lights to the auditorium.

6. The conversion started in August and only took a few weeks to complete. AMC and IMAX are keeping the construction costs confidential.

7. The new auditorium will be screening “”Inception”” in 2D all this week.

8.””Resident Evil: Afterlife”” will be the first 3D film to run on the new screen. It opens on Friday, Sept. 10.

9. Coming soon to IMAX theaters:  “”Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”” on Sept. 24, “”MegaMind”” on November 5, “”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1″” on Nov. 19 and “”Tron: Legacy”” on Dec. 17.

10. Tickets for regular showings at Foothills are $5.25 all day on Monday-Thursday and on weekends before noon. All other showings are $10.50. IMAX showings in 2D will cost $4 more than on a regular screen and showings in 3D, $6 more.