U.S. Market Invasion
CJ 4DPlex, a subsidiary of CJ CGV, announced that it has expanded a strategic partnership with Regal Cinemas, the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., and will add two more 4DX cinemas in Manhattan, New York City, by the end of this year.
The first of the two Manhattan theaters are Regal Union Square Stadium 14 on Broadway, which shows the highest box office revenues among all theaters of Regal Cinemas across the nation as of the end of 2014. And the second is the Regal E-Walk 13 in Times Square, which ranks second in terms of box office revenues among theaters of Regal Cinemas in Manhattan.
The Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14 generated US$1.7 million (1.98 billion won) in revenue in its first year after it opened its first 4-D theater. The figure is triple the level it made when it operated as a conventional theater.
The theater in L.A. has been so popular that Regal has decided to expand its partnership with the CJ Group to open two similar theaters in Manhattan. Accordingly, 4DX cinemas are expected to be more popular in the U.S. In particular, CJ 4DPlex has secured a bridgehead to spread 4DX cinemas all around the state, as it is to open the two theaters at the very center of New York, which is considered the best city in the U.S., industry watchers said.
Regal Cinemas Chief Technical & Theatre Operations Officer Rob Del Moro said, “We at Regal are very excited to continue our partnership with CJ 4DPlex while growing the 4DX arena in the United States with these two launches. Movie lovers in New York will be able to experience incredibly amazing 4DX technologies a year later.”
CJ 4DPlex CEO Choi Byung-hwan said, “Through the strategic partnership with Regal Cinemas, the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., we are honored to have a chance to offer a new cinematic experience to movie fans in New York. We will successfully tap into the cinema market in New York with our experiences to introduce 4DX technologies to the world for the first time. Also, we will make efforts to maintain lasting and strong partnerships with Regal Cinemas.”
Meanwhile, the technology, called 4DX, has been developed by CJ 4DPlex and successfully deployed on a commercial scale for the first time in the world in 2009. It combines moving and vibrating seats with wind, strobes, fog, rain, and scent-based effects, all of which are synchronized to the action on screen.