4DX Format Broke Box Office Records in 2019

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Wed, 01/15/2020 - 10:44 -- Nick Dager

CJ 4DPlex ended a successful 2019 with a record-breaking global box office for 4DX theatres, grossing more than $320 million, according to the company.CJ 4DPlex ended a successful 2019 with a record-breaking global box office for theatres with 4DX immersive seats, grossing more than $320 million, according to the company. With its best year yet at the global box office in 2019, ticket sales for movies shown in 4DX theatres increased 12 percent over 2018's record of $286 million. The seven highest grossing 4DX films of 2019 were:

Avengers: Endgame $34.4 million

Aladdin $25.9 million

The Lion King $23.2 million

Frozen2 $18.8 million

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw $16.9 million

Captain Marvel $14.0 million

Spider-Man: Far From Home $13.2 million

Avengers: Endgame became the highest grossing 4DX film of all time, making more than $34 million at the global box office.

In addition, live-action movies such as Aladdin, The Lion King and animated movies like Frozen2 received lots of love from generation Z and more women attended the 4DX experience. The top seven 4DX films grossed $146 million combined, accounted for 46 percent of the 4DX global box office, and helped lift the 4DX box office to record highs in 2019. Additionally, local language films from China, Japan and India played on 4DX made up a combined box office of more than $28 million.

Among them, The Wandering Earth and The Captain, released in China, became the first and second highest grossing local films in 2019.

The top 4DX markets – Japan, China, Korea, France, U.S, Mexico and United Kingdom – together grossed more $212 million global box office, which account for more than 66 percent of the format's total global box office takings in 2019. Those markets broke records in attendance and global box office, surpassing the top seven record of 2018. Most of all, U.S became the biggest grosser among seven countries as 4DX box office grew more than 73 percent in comparison to 2018.

As for the European markets, box office gross increased by 17 percent compared to 2018, earning more than $98 million, accounted for 31 percent of the 4DX global box office. In particular, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Belgium contributed the most to the growth of European markets. The 4DX box office for these four countries surpassed the previous gross in 2018, with $60 million at the box office, increased by 23 percent.

In addition to its box office performance, CJ 4DPlex expanded the footprint of 4DX and 4DX Screen in 2019. 4DX opened 119 auditoriums in 25 countries including 22 new 4DX Screen auditoriums, a cutting-edge format that blends 4DX and ScreenX. To date, 4DX operates 731 auditoriums in 65 countries.

"We have had a meaningful year for marking the 10th anniversary of the launch of 4DX and breaking the yearly box office records. Recently, our company unveiled the next generation of an innovative movie theatre at CES 2020, the world's largest technology exhibition," said CJ 4DPlex CEO JongRyul Kim. "We will introduce our latest cinema technology to the world and provide a unique and exciting movie experience to global movie fans continuously."