Fond du Lac theater does movies with new twists

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

March 10, 2025

FOND DU LAC – Since 1998, the Fond du Lac Theater, 1131 W. Scott St., has been providing theatrical entertainment for residents. 

But over time, General Manager Stephanie O’Malley said it began showing its age and was losing some of its luster.

When Minneapolis-based Odyssey Entertainment, Inc., bought the theater in 2019, O’Malley said the name was changed to Odyssey Cinemas and the company began making plans for a complete renovation – plans that were put on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. 

The theater was closed briefly during COVID, but even when they reopened, O’Malley  said many people were still gun-shy about going out to public places. 

“Things were starting to get back to normal, but then the (Writers Guild of America)’s strike in Hollywood began, and new movies weren’t being made,” she said. “We certainly felt the effects of that – (which started in May 2023 and ended nearly five months later in September). When you don’t have a steady revenue stream, it’s hard to remodel things simultaneously.”

Also during that time, O’Malley said the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists also went on strike – from July 14 to Nov. 9, 2023. 

“But, thankfully, things are back on track now with movies,” she said.  

Renovations combined with new technologies

O’Malley said the theater closed for renovations at the end of 2023 and, with great fanfare, had a soft re-opening Sept. 26, 2024 – which was attended by approximately 2,000 people – and the official grand opening Sept. 27. 

When the theater reopened, O’Malley said visitors were greeted with significant changes and upgrades.

First, the name is new – which she said reflects exactly what the theater is: Odyssey Cinemas and Social Fond du Lac 8 (with Premium Format Auditorium).

The building’s exterior, which O’Malley said had been unchanged since the theater was built in 1998, got a facelift with a new design, new materials and a brand-new paint job. 

“It looks completely different from the outside now,” she said. “It used to be a purple and green building. It’s now black and wood with beautiful lights on the outside.” 

The interior of the theater was totally gutted, O’Malley said – taken right down to the studs, and new carpeting and walls were installed throughout.  

She said Odyssey also features new restrooms, including the addition of a family restroom.

O’Malley said the rest of the interior now offers several new, user-friendly, interactive and self-serve experiences for 21st-century movie-goers.

“(Odyssey can be considered the) ultimate destination movie theater anywhere in the area,” she said, noting that the theater aims to provide a state-of-the-art, luxury theater to elevate patrons’ movie experiences. 

Though the theater still offers eight auditoriums, O’Malley said each now offers stadium seating – meaning patrons’ views are never blocked by those in front of them. 

She said the auditoriums have wall-to-wall screens featuring greater optimization, as well as leather, electric-heated recliners to provide customers living room-like comfort. 

Further upping the convenience, O’Malley said trays are attached to the chairs to hold beverages, popcorn or other snacks.  

One of the auditoriums – the Premium Format Auditorium – she said, is equipped with advanced laser projection, a 60-foot screen and a Trinnov audio system that features 20 strategically placed speakers and 7.1 surround sound. 

According to its website (odysseytheatres.com), “this world-class setup ensures impeccable room optimization and cutting-edge 3D sound technology.”

During the soft re-opening, O’Malley said Odyssey played nothing but trailers in each auditorium so people could easily move in and out of the theater, experiencing the new technology. 

“We were open from 3-7 p.m. and had trailers playing in each theater,” she said. “We also served free popcorn and soda. People could watch trailers of upcoming pictures while previewing and experiencing the picture and sound quality in the theater’s new auditoriums, along with the heated recliner seats and the tray tables for drinks, popcorn and other snacks.”

O’Malley said patrons entering the building will note the absence of a traditional box office, and instead utilize one of four self-serve kiosks to purchase tickets using a credit or debit card. 

“You can pick out your seats at the same time,” she said. “You can also purchase tickets, including the day and time, and seats in advance for movies coming later that same day, the next day or even in the next week or so.”

O’Malley said the process helps to limit people from jumping from one theater to another without paying and also helps to eliminate lines for popular movies.

For patrons who don’t have a credit or debit card, she said they can use cash to pay for tickets at the concession stand. 

She said tickets can also be purchased via the theater’s website. 

Speaking of concessions 

O’Malley said Odyssey’s concession area has likewise been entirely renovated and is designed with a kitchen in which staff will be able to easily prepare and serve food once the theater’s menu is expanded in the future. 

“I expect the expanded menu will include flatbread pizzas, chicken tenders, fries, cheese curds and things along those lines,” she said. 

O’Malley said progress is already being made on the kitchen, as she’s already procured her first piece of equipment, and as the rest arrives, she said the new menu will be rolled out publicly. 

In the meantime, she said Odyssey presently sells an O Bucket, a plastic popcorn bucket with an upfront cost of $23.99.

Good for a calendar year, the bucket can be filled for $2.99 plus tax, as opposed to the usual price of about $9.

O Bucket owners are given a free bucket refill on Tuesday with a movie ticket purchase.

For soda drinkers, O’Malley said a large soda purchase comes with unlimited free refills. 

For ages 21 and up, she said Odyssey also features a 26-Tap Wall serving a selection of beers, wines, ciders and margaritas. 

Guests who purchase a beer or other alcoholic beverage are given a Tap Wall card, which O’Malley said is linked to their credit or debit card. 

She said the system is designed to be self-serving for customers, but a responsibility factor is also built in.

“It has been a pretty hot seller,” she said of the alcoholic beverage menu. “The Tap Wall tracks the ounces of beer or other alcohol you’re getting. You pay by the ounce and you only pay for what you pour. There is a 32-ounce responsibility limit, so once it hits 32 ounces, it cuts you off.” 

O’Malley said staff are able to use discretion to reactivate a patron’s Tap Wall cards.

“The cool thing about it is we link this card to your credit or debit card, so you just return that card at the end of the night, and we close out your tab,” she said. “It’s very intriguing to people.”  

O’Malley said Odyssey Cinemas and Social Fond du Lac is the first theater in Northeast Wisconsin to offer this self-serving technology for alcoholic beverages.

Something for everyone

O’Malley said some of the movies shown at Odyssey are unique compared to typical theaters, but for the most part, first-run movies are shown. 

“No matter what we are showing, we offer something that anyone in any demographic would want to see,” she said. “People are really excited to not have to drive somewhere else, like Oshkosh, to have a nice theater experience.”

O’Malley said the expansive lobby has been transformed into a vibrant social area where family and friends can gather before or after movies or just to get together even if they’re not seeing a movie. 

This area, she said, hosts the many social events Odyssey is involved in, including open mic events, musical acts and trivia nights. 

The lobby also has a large selection of board games, O’Malley said, that people can check out and play in the social area.  

Every Monday night, she said Odyssey features an event called Music Bingo. 

“Players download the Shazam music app on their phones, and the songs that are played get marked off on players’ bingo cards, just like in any other bingo game,” she said, adding that winners get coupons from local businesses. “There’s not always a whole lot to do in Fond du Lac on a Monday night during the winter. So, Monday night Music Bingo helps bring people out and gives them something to do.”

O’Malley said a special upcoming event is an Easter egg hunt April 12, accompanied by a showing of the film “Peter Rabbit” in multiple auditoriums. 

Sometime in the next couple of months, she said Odyssey will join forces with Fond du Lac’s Laughable Productions to present a dinner and murder mystery night.

O’Malley also said sometime this summer, the theater will show the film “F1,” during which a racing team will be present to sign autographs. 

More regularly, she said Odyssey features weekday specials, such as Last Chance Thursdays, when ticket prices are $6 all day and night for any movie ending its theatrical run on that particular day.

Friday matinees, she said, offer visitors 62 years and older ticket prices of $6 until 2 p.m., and a small drink and small popcorn for just $4.99 before 6 p.m.

A full list of weekday specials can be found on the theater’s website. 

O’Malley said one of the theater’s monthly specials takes place on the first Saturday of each month, when Big Brothers Big Sisters sponsors a free community showing. 

“It’s a family movie of some kind – anybody can come and watch the movie, and that’s the only time we don’t have assigned seats and the movie only plays in three of the theaters, not all eight,” she said, adding that Odyssey tries to be a very community-minded business. “We do giveaways to local groups and help with donations for local events. We try to be as involved as we can.”

All in all, O’Malley – who’s been with the theater since last August – said things have been going very well since the theater reopened. 

“It’s a pleasure seeing all the old faces coming back,” she said. “Having (someplace so new and exciting) has kind of restored their faith in the movie business and in us. And I get to see people when they come out of the movie, especially the kids, and ask them how it was, especially when they all look so happy. I’m kind of able to put names to faces now and those folks feel better about coming back in because we know them now.” 

O’Malley said it’s been rewarding to get to know people, appreciating how with a simple, kind interaction, “you can make somebody’s day and not even know it.”

Because the theater’s goal is to make movie-going enjoyable for everyone, she said Odyssey offers devices to enhance and amplify audio, provide closed captioning or provide narration of the action on-screen. 

Assistive Listening Devices are available for all movies, O’Malley said, and the theater offers wheelchair seating in every auditorium. 

Visit Odyssey Cinemas and Social Fond du Lac’s website for more information, as well as its social media accounts.