Ian Ritter is national online editor of GlobeSt.RETAIL.

NEW YORK CITY-AMC Entertainment Inc. and Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corp. are merging in a deal that will give the combined entity about 450 theaters in 30 states with 5,900 screens. The merged company, which will take AMC's name, will be the country's second-largest theater chain after Regal Entertainment Group, the operator of 558 cinemas housing 6,273 screens.

AMC Entertainment's headquarters will remain in Kansas City, MO, where the 229-theater, 3,546-screen-company currently resides. Loews is a bit smaller than AMC, with 221 theaters and 2,218 screens.

Peter C. Brown, AMC's chairman, CEO and president will co-chair the new company with Travis E. Reid, CEO and president of Loews. Marquee Holdings, the firm that owns AMC, will be the majority owner of the new entity. LCE Holdings Inc., Loews' owner, will get 40% of AMC Entertainment. They expect the deal to close within six to nine months.