SM Prime Holdings Corp., the country's largest shopping mall operator and developer, is putting up five more IMAX digital theaters in the country in the next two years.

      SM Prime senior vice president Edgar Tejerero said in an interview that the company planned to open an IMAX theater in SM Southmall, Fort Bonifacio and SM Davao next year and in SM Megamall and SM Clark by 2012.

      The company opened Thursday an IMAX theater in Cebu, its third in the country. SM Prime chief finance officer Jeffrey Lim said the company spent about P110 million for the 457-seat IMAX theater in Cebu.

      The first two IMAX theaters were built in SM Mall of Asia, which opened in 2006, and SM North Edsa last year.

      Tejerona an investment in an IMAX theater was eight times bigger compared with the usual cinema. Tejerona said the company was pleased with the performance of the two IMAX theaters, noting that they generate the highest sales whenever a new movie comes out.