The Imax theater at the Mall of Georgia was open for business Sunday, showing "The Dark Knight," after overnight repairs were made.

"We had some technical problems earlier in the weekend related to an HVAC system and a chiller," said Dick Westerling, spokesman for R egal Entertainment Group, operator of the Regal Mall of Georgia Stadium 20 & Imax at the Buford shopping center.

Marcus K. Garner / mgarner@ajc.com

Movie goers line up outside a theater at Regal Mall of Georgia 20 to watch the regular 35 millimeter version of "The Dark Knight" on Saturday.

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"Those problems have been fixed," Westerling said. "As of late last night and this morning, the Imax system has been running, and we've been showing the film."

At least three Imax showings of the latest Batman film were cut short or canceled Saturday after the Imax machine overheated and shut down. Repairs were made, and the 10:20 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 a.m. Sunday shows went on as scheduled.

The fix, however, came too late for people like Josh Thompson, who drove with friends from Augusta to see the canceled 3:40 p.m. Saturday show. "I'm beyond bummed. I'm really [angry]!" Thompson said.

This weekend's Imax screenings of the new Batman movie have been sold out since at least Tuesday. Some disappointed audience members said Saturday they had driven from across the state to see the movie.

Thompson and his friends took time off from work to see the Imax film Saturday, and to go to Six Flags Over Georgia today before returning to Augusta.

With gas topping $4 a gallon, the 36-mile drive out to Buford from where they're staying near Atlanta wasn't one they wanted to make twice. "That's a long trek for $60 worth of gas," Thompson said.

Initially, the word was only rain checks would be given out.

"They're doing nothing to reimburse people who drove all the way here," Imax ticketholder Jared Osterhage of Newnan complained after he was turned away from the Saturday afternoon show.

"Just to give us a rain check? If we don't come back, we've paid $45 plus gas for nothing."

Later, Regal officials offered refunds, re-admission tickets to future Imax showings and passes good for any other movie including "Dark Knight" on conventional screens at the theater complex.

People like Osterhage appeared satisfied. "They took care of us," he said.

Jeremy Uriz of Douglasville didn't mind attending the ordinary, 35mm version Saturday of "Dark Knight." "I'm going anyway because we got all hyped up," he said.

Brenda Lovvorn, who drove with her family Saturday from Kennesaw, wanted the full refund. Imax tickets are $15 apiece, and conventional showings, $10.

"We paid online," she said. "We just told them we wanted our money back."

The Imax theater seats several hundred viewers in a stadium-like venue for each showing. The movie was partially shot with the special cameras to accommodate the expansive screen – a first for a major studio film, according to www.Imax.com.

Even without the special format, "The Dark Knight" seems to have lived up to its white-hot buzz.

The movie broke the record for a 12:01 a.m. Friday film opening, earning nearly $18.5 million nationwide at the box office for the midnight show, according to a Warner Bros. Pictures news release.

That beat the past record of $16.9 million set in May 2005 by "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith."