The city of Murfreesboro has been growing quickly over the last few years, but the number of movie theaters hasn’t increased since 1999—that is, until now.

Or at least, soon.

Marquee Cinemas, based out of Beckley, W.Va, plans to open a new 12-screen theater near the MTSU campus on South Rutherford Boulevard. Though the new construction was approved by the Murfreesboro Planning Commission at its Sept. 17 meeting, the company has yet to announce a timeline or projected opening date for the project. The projected Murfreesboro location will be Marquee’s 20th theater and its second in Tennessee.

Meanwhile, another proposed theater, this one operated by Carmike Cinemas and to be located near The Avenue on Medical Center Parkway, behind Peter D’s, has not yet been approved. According to Matthew Blomeley, Principal Planner of the Murfreesboro Planning & Zoning Department, a plan was on the agenda for the Feb. 19, 2014, meeting of the Planning Commission but was withdrawn before the meeting date. The developer of this project, Franklin’s Parkes Development Group, did not respond to requests for comment.

However, Matt Taylor of Site Engineering Consultants, Inc., the engineer formerly affiliated with the project, said that to the best of his knowledge, Parkes “no longer has a contract in place with the landowner.” Added Taylor, “As far as I know, [the project] is no longer moving forward.”

A third project, developer David Stansberry Jr.’s ambitious new drive-in theater and restaurant on Old Nashville Highway, seems to have gone on an indefinite hiatus. Originally planned to open in May 2014, the theater is currently without a projected opening date.

Some of the delay springs from the acquisition of adjoining land to expand the theater’s plans from two screens (including one planned to set the record for the largest drive-in screen in the country) to three, with the goal of making it easier for the theater to negotiate for rights to show first-run films. According to a June 12 post on the company’s Facebook page, this delayed the start of their construction and necessitated the reopening of negotiations with contractors.

“The zoning variances are in place and were obtained last year, but they have not yet submitted the site plan that would be the next step,” says Rutherford County Assistant Planning Director Danielle Glouner.

The company last updated its Facebook page on Sept. 6, asking its supporters for patience.

“We don’t mean to keep everyone hanging at all, believe we are just as excited if not more so, to tell you what’s happening!!!” the drive-in’s management wrote.

Meanwhile, however, you can enjoy a taste of what’s to come at Popcorn from MARS, located downtown on East Vine Street. The gourmet popcorn shop is partnering with MARS (Murfreesboro. Arcade. Restaurant. Smyrna.) Theater and will offer their many-flavored snacks on location when the theater opens.

So while the city may in time be due for a glut of new movie theaters, it remains to be seen if and when these screens will power up for business.

In the meantime, Rutherford County residents can still catch a flick at the privately owned Premier 6 Theater in the Jackson Heights Shopping Center (810 Northwest Broad St., 896-4100), at the Carmike Wynnsong 16 off Cason Lane (2626 Cason Square Blvd., 893-3278) or at Malco Smyrna Theater (100 Movie Row, Smyrna, 223-6252).