In yet another sign that the motion picture business is emerging from the worst of the pandemic, over the weekend, the Walt Disney Company Marvel Studios action film Black Widow was released in the ScreenX format. ScreenX, from CJ4DPlex, is the world's premiere multi-projection system that provides a 270-degree panoramic film viewing experience.
B&B Theatres, the sixth largest exhibitor in the U.S., is installing Cinionic Grand Screen laser projectors in its newly renovated Blacksburg 11 theatre in Blacksburg, Virginia, opening this month. B&B Theatres premium Grand Screen auditoriums are home to some of the largest screens in the U.S. The reimagined Grand Screen powered by CGS at B&B Blacksburg 11 will offer moviegoers an exceptional cinema experience in every visit.
The Stardome Observatory and Planetarium in Auckland, New Zealand, recently upgraded its cinema and live performance venue with a complete Harman Professional networked surround sound system incorporating JBL Professional, Crown, BSS and Soundcraft technologies.
Saudi Arabia’s homegrown theatre circuit, Muvi Cinemas, has selected Cinionic Giant Screen laser projectors to power more than 25 premium Xperience auditoriums throughout the Kingdom. The first Xperience powered by CGS locations, Al Ahsa Mall, Aziz Mall, and Nakheel Mall are open now, with further sites coming soon.
The Genius 100 Foundation is joining Cosmic Pictures as executive producers on their upcoming film, Einstein’s Incredible Universe for Imax and giant screens.
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.
Barco and Imax Corporation have announced the further expansion of their long-standing relationship. As part of the expansion of their ongoing partnership, the companies will now collaborate on optimizing the use of Barco’s latest laser light source technology to help power Imax systems globally, further enabling Imax to convert its more than 1,000 systems to laser over time. An additional multi-year support agreement will enable not only the brightest but also the most reliable performance for Imax laser theatres across the world.
THX, Cinionic and Nordisk Film Cinema, today announced their collaboration to launch the first THX Ultimate Cinema in Europe, to be deployed at the Nordisk Film crown jewel, the historic Imperial Theatre in Copenhagen. THX Ultimate Cinema powered by Cinionic Giant Screen provides movie exhibitors with a branded and differentiated premium large format offering which includes laser projection from Cinionic, an immersive audio system, as well as acoustic and performance specifications and an auditorium experience that has been calibrated by THX.
Maya Cinemas is installing Cinionic Giant Screens in all its Maya Premiere Experience auditoriums. The first three MPX powered by CGS locations, Maya Cinemas Fresno, Bakersfield, and North Las Vegas, will be ready to welcome Maya audiences in time for Thanksgiving. All the screens are more than sixty feet wide.
I last spoke with B&B Theatres executive vice president Brock Bagby in April as businesses across the country were shutting down in response to COVID-19. At that time all of their theatres were dark and the company had furloughed nearly 2,000 employees. I recently emailed Bagby to see if he would agree to a follow-up interview. His response was to say yes, adding, “But it’s been a rough seven months.” B&B Theatres, the sixth largest theatre chain in North America, is not just any independent cinema chain. For nearly a century, the company has understood better than most of their competitors that they don’t just show movies; they are in show business. They believe that movies are magic and their theatres amplify the experience like few others.
