Despite an advertisement in the Daily and a posting on its Web site, Cinemark has not yet purchased three movie theatres in Ames.

Randy Hester, vice president of marketing and communication for Cinemark, which is based out of Dallas, Texas, said the company is negotiating the purchase of three Ames theatres from Des Moines-based Central States Theater Corp., but the sale has not yet gone through.

Cinemark, owner of Movies 12, 1317 Buckeye Ave., ran an advertisement in Friday’s Daily listing movie times for the Varsity II Theatres, 2412 Lincoln Way, and North Grand Five Theater, 2801 Grand Ave.

Cinemark is also looking to buy Century III Theatres, 507 S. Duff Ave.

Arthur Stein, general manager of Central States Theater Corp., confirmed Sunday that the theatres have not been sold. “They’re not [Cinemark] theaters yet,” Stein said.

Stein said there have been no new developments in the negotiations, and he did not know how long it would be before the sale would be completed.

Although in the tentative deal Cinemark would own all Ames theaters, giving the company a virtual monopoly of the industry in Ames, Hester said the sale would have little effect on ticket prices or the variety of movies that come to Ames.

Cinemark lists Varsity II and North Grand Five on its schedule and locations page on its Web site, www.cinemark.com. The Century III theaters were not mentioned on the site.

North Grand Five is described as a discount, second-run movie theater on the Web site.

“We buy and sell movie theaters all the time,” Hester said. “Our interest in Ames is the same as it is everywhere — people going to see movies.”

Cinemark operates more than 2,500 movie screens in 32 states, according to the Web site.