Two Pinellas theaters to get 'Fahrenheit'

The opening-weekend box office success of Fahrenheit 9/11 is prompting distributors to expand Michael Moore's film into more theaters this week, including two in Pinellas County.

R/C Theatres Parkside 16 in Pinellas Park will add Fahrenheit 9/11 to its lineup Wednesday. On Friday, the Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach will begin showing the film, after its contractual commitment to present Super Size Me is completed.

Fahrenheit 9/11 was the No. 1 ticket seller in the United States last weekend with $21.8-million in box office receipts in limited release on 868 screens.

Miramax Films co-founder Harvey Weinstein, who purchased distribution rights for Fahrenheit 9/11 when Disney refused to release it, told the New York Times that Moore's film could eventually play on 2,000 screens. Weinstein's newly formed Fellowship Adventure Group is collaborating with Lions Gate Film and IFC Films on distribution. The opening number of theaters showing Fahrenheit 9/11 is a record for documentaries.

According to its Web site, Muvico Theaters, the owners of Baywalk 20 in St. Petersburg, isn't showing Fahrenheit 9/11 at any of its 12 locations in Florida, Tennessee and Maryland. Muvico director of marketing Jim Lee said Monday that negotiations with the film's distributors are continuing.

The film's Florida distributor didn't know on Monday whether any theaters in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus would be part of this week's expansion or if any theaters in Hillsborough County would be added. Fahrenheit 9/11 opened Friday in four theaters in Hillsborough, plus one each in Oldsmar and Sarasota. Check the movie listings in the Floridian section for locations and show times.

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