Sticky seats and giant boxes of Raisinets may be fine for the younger set, but as theater operators ponder the next generation of movie houses their sights are set on a different generation of moviegoers who are more mature and upscale and may not necessarily want to rub shoulders with their younger counterparts. Such is the thinking behind Mann Theatres’ newest multiplex in The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks. The 14-screen, stadium-seating theater is being constructed as an exclusively adult venue which will include a bar and lounge area serving cocktails, sushi and other grownup fare and four distinct balcony seating areas to accommodate 300 moviegoers. The VIP level will be accessible from a separate box office and entrance and available only to those who purchase a seat in one of the four balcony seating areas. Once seated, moviegoers will find plush, 26-inch-wide chairs with 48 inches of legroom. While legroom varies at theaters, the seating at the Mann in The Oaks is significantly roomier than the average movie theater seat, said Peter Dobson, CEO of Mann. “It’s exclusively for those over 21,” Dobson said of the new space that is set to open in the fourth quarter of 2008. “A lot of people 35 and upwards don’t like to have kids moving around when they watch a movie.” Figuring that teens will continue to flock to theaters regardless of the amenities offered, theater owners have increasingly moved to make their venues more comfortable and inviting to older viewers. First came stadium seating to allow unobstructed views anywhere in the theater. More recently, some houses, like ArcLight Cinemas, have added reserved seating and a caf & #233; bar to the traditional concession stand fare. “The youth market is going to keep growing, but it’s going to become a smaller percentage of the market,” said Patrick Corcoran, California operations chief and director of media and research at the National Association of Theatre Owners, the industry’s trade group. “The opportunities for growth are in an upscale demographic in adults, and you need to offer something extra for those people.” Following a dismal 2005, when U.S. box office revenues shrunk to $8.99 billion from $9.54 billion in 2004, theaters have rebounded, taking in $9.49 billion in 2006, according to NATO. With the rebound, initial fears that the growing sophistication of home entertainment products were keeping moviegoers at home subsided. At the same time, theater owners say, there is increasing evidence that the growth in big screen televisions with enhanced features along with DVDs has actually boosted interest in films. But the preference for watching movies at home seems to increase with age, according to Motion Picture Association of America research. A survey conducted by the association last year found that, while two-thirds of respondents prefer watching their movies in the theater, some groups are less enthusiastic. In fact, the MPA found that of women over 25, 45 percent said they preferred watching movies at home. As the population ages, the trick will be to capture older moviegoers, theater owners believe. “The kids will always come,” said Corcoran. “One of the things you have to do is work a little harder to attract young parents and adults who are used to having things their way and who don’t want to be in the same crowd or see the same movies as teenagers.” The idea of creating a movie-going experience for adults is not entirely new, but theater owners are increasing their efforts to cater to that market. Pacific Theatres Exhibition Corp., a sister company to ArcLight, is rumored to be working on adding some of ArcLight’s features to its Sherman Oaks Galleria location. A spokesman for Pacific Theatres would not confirm the reports. Mann, through its affiliate, Warner Bros. International Cinemas division, has transformed some of its theaters in Europe and Asia. But The Oaks effort promises to be its largest yet. “It’s on a much grander scale,” said Dobson. “We built our first VIP balcony in Barcelona and it was hugely successful,” Dobson said. “We wanted to bring it to the U.S.” Dobson said the company chose The Oaks location for its first VIP format in the U.S. because it will be able to build the theater from the ground up and because of the demographics of the area. The Oaks venue will be part of a major renovation underway by Oaks’ owner Macerich which will also include the addition of a Nordstrom and other upscale stores. Although pricing for the VIP tickets has not yet been determined, Dobson expects that they will be about double the price of a general admission ticket. “The demographics of Thousand Oaks make total sense for something like this,” he said. “We will be charging more for this experience and we don’t feel that in some other areas the market could absorb it.”