The Athena Grand will bring the thrill of watching Shark Week to the big screen Tuesday, just days before Shark Week officially begins.
The theater, located at 1008 E. State St., will screen Shark Week 2017 footage at 7:30 p.m Tuesday. Tickets are $15.
The Discovery Channel dedicates a whole week of programming to the predators of the ocean to educate and entertain viewers. The documentary-style shows will air starting Sunday.
One of the most talked about events of the upcoming week is the race between the most decorated Olympian and a great white.
Michael Phelps, who has won 23 Olympic gold medals in swimming, will race a great white shark Sunday at 8 p.m.
Phelps will strap on a monofin — a device that has two pockets for feet — and race the shark for 100 meters in the open waters of Cape Town, South Africa, according to the USA Today.
Phelps has been clocked around 6 miles per hour but can reach up to 12 miles per hour with the fin. A great white can hit a burst speed of 25 miles per hour, according to the same article.
Regina Westerviller, a senior studying child and family studies, grew up watching Shark Week with her family. Westerviller said she would probably watch Phelps race the shark because it would be funny.
“(The shark) is probably faster than Michael Phelps, and could possibly eat him,” she said.
The Athena Grand is provided with this type of alternative content through its distributor, Fathom, Rick Frame, the theater's owner, said. Oftentimes, the movie will give a behind-the-scenes look into how it was made.
Frame said people might like to experience Shark Week in a bigger format with a better sound system.
“This shark phenomenon has been a pretty big thing over the years,” he said. “I guess it’s the thrill of seeing something that you would otherwise not get to see.”
Mae Yen Yap contributed to this report.
