Earlier this year, the Multicines Mall del Rio Guayaquil in Guayaquil, Ecuador became the only cinema project to be started and developed in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre has 11 auditoriums, including a 4D Emotion + 3D screen and a premium large format screen called MCX – Multicines Xtreme. CES+ was the integrator on the project.
As the motion picture business slowly but surely rebounds from the worst of the pandemic, there are signs that many exhibitors are rethinking the design and configuration of their theatres. Should they permanently remove some seats in case pandemics prove to be a recurring event? Should they tailor some auditoriums for games or eSports or other specialized content? New-builds and renovations often present different challenges but they all have one thing in common: seats. To understand the current state of seats and cinema design I recently spoke by email with Theresa English, principal at TK Architects International. The company has designed hundreds of cinemas and this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary in business. For English, any conversation about cinema design starts long before the house lights are dimmed, or the first movie ticket is sold. “The focus,” she says, “is on the patron and the seat.”
Spaces & Between, makers of Atom Seating, and Skeie Seating have announced a partnership to exclusively distribute cinema recliners in 13 European countries. The companies say that the direct connection between Atom Seating’s VIP recliners and Skeie Seating’s years of association in Europe, will allow cinemas in Europe to quickly optimize their seating requirements through comfort, design and cost-effectiveness.
The iconic Hollywood TCL Chinese Theatre is open for business again, including the MediaMation MX4D theatre located in the Chinese 6 complex. The facility is operating following CDC health and safety guidelines.
MediaMation recently installed a 60-seat MX4D Motion EFX Theatre in Perpignan, France to add a new experience to Cinemovida's facilities.
California-based MediaMation has introduced SafeTSeat and is installing the new seating in TCL Chinese Theatres in Los Angeles as it plans to reopen. SafeTSeat is a plexiglass barrier between the seats allowing for separation and social distancing while attending standard and MX4D Motion EFX theatres.
In response to the ongoing turmoil in the cinema business caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Atom Seating is lowering prices, extending payment times and donating five percent of sales to organizations fighting the virus.
Disney's epic live-action film, Mulan, will be releasing worldwide in the 4DX and ScreenX formats, starting March 25 in certain markets. In all the film will be shown on 734 4DX screens and 314 ScreenX screens worldwide.
Kino Arena is installing recliners from Atom Seating at its movie theatre in the Sofia Mall in Sofia, Bulgaria. A total of 750 Atom Seating Helium recliners, a Spaces and Between brand, will be installed. Kino Arena owner Stefan Minchev said he chose Helium recliners as a step towards enhancing the overall movie experience of the cinemagoers.
The Walt Disney Studios epic live-action film Mulan will be releasing worldwide in the immersive 4DX and ScreenX formats, starting March 25 in certain markets, totaling 734 4DX screens and 314 ScreenX screens worldwide.
