PRESS RELEASE
Seoul, Korea (April 28, 2016) – CJ 4DPLEX, an immersive theater technology featuring moving seats and environmental effects, 4DX announced that four more screens opened in Japan in partnership with AEON and 109 Cinemas. All four screens opened to the public in April 2016.
These additional 4DX screens are the result of partnerships with Japanese theatre exhibitors AEON Cinemas (one new screen this month) and 109 Cinemas (three new screens). Japan continues to be the fastest growing market for 4DX, having added 25 screens in 2015 alone, and currently operating in 37 auditoriums – accounting for 3,948 seats – nationwide. CJ 4DPLEX is on pace to meet its goal to reach 50 4DX screens in Japan in the near future.
“We are excited to announce the continued international expansion of 4DX with both of these significant partners – 109 Cinemas and AEON Cinemas in Japan,” said Byung Hwan Choi, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX. “We will concentrate on further expanding 4DX in Japan and look forward to broadening our business in the country’s cinema industry.”
AEON Cinemas, Japan’s largest cinema chain, operating 83 theaters, 702 screens and 136,775 seats, opened the third 4DX screen at the Koshigaya site in Saitama prefecture on April 23 with Zootopia. 109 Cinemas, operating 19 theaters, 175 screens and 32,585 seats, rolled out new 4DX auditoriums at three additional theatres – Hat-Kobe site in Kobe City, Yokkaichi site in Mie prefecture and Saga site in Saga prefecture – in April. All of the new sites are the first 4DX theaters in each district. The initial films being screened are Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Mad Max: Fury Road and Girls und Panzer: The Film.
AEON Cinemas Koshigaya site had a strong weekend during its opening weekend seeing an average occupancy rate of 85%. The 109 Cinemas Hat-Kobe 4DX site saw also had a fantastic opening with over an occupancy rate of 56%.
In addition to the successful performance last year, in January this year 4DX in Japan as a whole got off to a good start recording an occupancy rate of almost 50% through all of the screening weeks of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Following up this box office hit, 4DX hit a new record in Japan with the screening Girls und Panzer: The Film, a Japanese animated film, which reported an occupancy rate 97% rate in its first screening week. Girls und Panzer: The Film sky-rocketed from 24th to 8th in the national box office rankings when it was released in 4DX on February 20, 2016. Fans are still lining up to see the film. Even though it has been two months since its initial release, the 4DX occupancy rate of the film still was over 68% this last weekend.
4DX’s average occupancy rate increased over 11% in the first quarter, as compared with the corresponding period of last year. Moreover, Japanese attendance also increased over almost 5 and a half times, increasing almost four times from 128,280 to 692.980 compared to the previous year.
In the next quarter, Hollywood big titles such as Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War, and Deadpool will be released in 4DX.
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