Homegrown 4D
Hollywood, the center of the global film industry, has fallen in love with the charm of South Korea’s homegrown technology, 4DX.
CJ 4DPlex, a subsidiary of CJ CGV, has announced that following the adoption of CJ 4DPlex’s 4DX technology on June 27, 2014, Regal Cinema L.A. Live saw its ticket sales jump to the top 25 in the nation. This was an important achievement for the theater, which used to rank outside the top 100 in terms of sales. “These figures are encouraging,” said CJ 4DPlex CEO Choi Byung-hwan, adding that the successful launch can provide momentum for further expansion to other U.S. markets.
In fact, after launching 4DX, each time the Regal Cinema screens a new blockbuster, it attracts a massive audience. For this reason, the theater has come into the spotlight as an entertainment spot. The highest grossing movie has been “Jurassic World,” which recorded 90 percent ticket sales during the 4DX screening period. In Korea, 4DX technology also sent shock waves through viewing audiences for its unique cinematic experience. The list of highest grossing films includes “Transformers 4,” “San Andreas,” “Avengers 2,” “Fast and the Furious,” and “Mad Max.”
4DX also sent shock waves through the cinema society in Hollywood. After watching a movie at the Regal Cinema 4DX theatre, Dwayne Johnson of the Film “San Andreas” praised 4DX for its physical effects to give moviegoers an enhanced movie experience such as seat motion, wind, water, and smell in line with a movie's plot. Harry Shum, an actor who appears in the U.S. drama Glee, said on his Facebook account, “The movie was the most fascinating movie I’ve ever seen,” adding, “I smelt the scent of woods... I simultaneously felt the vibration when the dragon moves.... When the Raptors lifted the protagonist, the chair shook strongly and gusts of water splashed onto me,” said Shum.
The remarkable success that the 4DX has generated in Hollywood - the home of the movie industry - derives from the unique cinematic experience 4DX produces. Namely, 4DX is famed for helping audiences to immerse themselves in the content by combining the experiences of a theater and theme park.
Shelby Russell, vice president of marketing of Regal Cinema L.A. Live said, “The ultimate purpose of the theater is to provide a memorable experience for the audience, and in that sense, 4DX theaters are the most faithful to its purpose. Launching of 4DX at Regal Cinema L.A. hasn’t been merely a contribution to bringing more moviegoers to the theater, but it has also turned the theater into a new tourist attraction. The success of 4DX in L.A. has so far been very encouraging, which seems to provide a momentum for further expansion to other U.S. markets.
Choi, CJ 4DPLEX Marketing Team Leader, said, “With more emphasis put on the short-term profits, U.S. theaters maintain a conservative stance on new technologies, and this has been one of the challenges that we face, trying to break into the U.S. market,” adding, “With last year’s success, local theaters attract more interest. We are currently negotiating with major flagship theaters on launching of 4DX theaters.”