With the curtain soon to go up on CinemaCon, and as theaters look to add more lucrative premium formats in a still shaky market, AMC Entertainment and CJ 4DPLEX have partnered on 65 premium ScreenX and 4DX locations worldwide.
Some 40 4DX theaters and 25 ScreenX theaters will debut across key AMC and Odeon locations across the U.S. and Europe starting this summer.
CJ 4DPLEX is the leading producer of premium film formats and cinema technologies. AMC is the largest theatrical exhibitor. This is their first global partnership and will deliver the ScreenX and 4DX experience to AMC’s U.S. locations for the first time.
For AMC, the first few theaters with ScreenX – which extends scenes onto the left and right walls of the auditorium – will open in time for the Hollywood summer blockbuster season. The first locations with 4DX – which provides moviegoers with a multisensory cinematic presentation (wind water, more) — are set to open in the fall. They want to complete the full rollout by 2027.
The second largest U.S. chain, Regal, is currently CJ 4DPLEX’s largest partner Stateside with 52 4DX theaters in operation as well as 52 ScreenX theaters. Regal opened its first 4DX theater in the U.S. in 2014. Its relatively new auditorium at Times Square made Twisters in 4DX go viral. CJ 4DPLEX has 62 4DX theaters and 29 ScreenX theaters with Regal’s sister companies Cineworld and CCI across Europe and Israel.
AMC and CJ 4CPLEX currently operate six ScreenX auditoriums in Europe under the Odeon Cinemas banner. This deal will bring the total premium screen count for CJ 4DPLEX to over 1,200 globally. It comes as theaters struggle to revive moviegoing from a prolonged slump that has seen premium formats over-index with ticket buyers. That’s likely to be a major topic at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of global exhibitors in Las Vegas that starts next Monday,
“This partnership with CJ 4DPLEX to bring groundbreaking cinematic experiences SCREENX and 4DX to AMC moviegoers marks another major step forward in our commitment to delivering the most immersive, cutting-edge experiences to our millions of guests worldwide,” said Adam Aron, CEO of AMC, which operates 900 theaters and 10,000 screens globally.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be in business with the largest exhibitor in the world with one of the largest deals in the history of our company,” said Jun Bang, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX. “This deal underscores the overwhelming growing popularity of both of our formats globally and serves as a significant milestone as the cinema industry continues to innovate and bring a differentiated entertainment product to moviegoers.”
“This partnership comes as we’ve secured our largest film slate ever for both ScreenX and 4DX while simultaneously strengthening our relationships with filmmakers and major studios,” added Don Savant, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX America.
ScreenX is a multi-projection cinema technology with an immersive 270-degree panoramic viewing experience, surrounding the audience with story-enhancing visuals that cannot be replicated at home. The innovative screen format places everyone in the auditorium directly at the center of the motion picture.
The ScreenX theaters will feature luxury recliner seating, Barco Laser, and immersive audio for an enhanced viewing experience. To date, there are over 430 SCREENX auditoriums around the world in 40 countries.
4DX allows audiences to connect with films through motion, vibration, wind, lightning, scents, and other special effects that enhance the visuals on-screen. Each 4DX auditorium incorporates motion-based seating synchronized with more than 21 different effects and optimized by a team of skilled editors. To date, there are over 780 4DX auditoriums around the world, spanning over 70 countries.
Upcoming titles in ScreenX and 4DX include Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Movie and Sinners, Marvel Studio’s Thunderbolt, Paramount Pictures’ Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Lionsgate’s Ballerina, Universal Pictures’ How To Train Your Dragon, Sony Pictures’ 28 Years Later, Warner Bros.’ F1, Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World Rebirth, Warner Bros.’ Superman, and Marvel Studio’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
CJ 4DPLEX is a part of the CJ Group conglomerate that also includes entertainment powerhouses CJ CGV, the fifth largest theater chain in the world, and CJ ENM (CJ Entertainment & Media), producer of films including Parasite.