Will 4D Ever Catch on?

Amid the questionable flavors of popcorn (Parmesan garlic, yum!) and advanced slushy-makers being paraded on the trade-show floor at this year's CineEurope, one of the biggest conversations among exhibitors hoping to gather more money from moviegoers likely will center on 4D.

With about 530 screens worldwide now having installed the technology -- which ranges from moving seats to sensory experiences including wind, fog and even scents -- 4D still is very much in the "niche" arena but quickly has become a growing force.

"We'd estimate that the market has approximately doubled over the past 18 months," says Charlotte Jones, principal cinema analyst at IHS Technology, whose cinema director, David Hancock, is moderating a panel at CineEurope on cinemas in the "experience economy" and the move toward premium.

For exhibitors, the question is whether the significant investment needed for 4D is worthwhile for their bottom line.

Seoul, South Korea-based CJ 4Dplex -- one of three major 4D firms, but the only one that offers the more "extreme" weather experiences known as 4DX -- so far has one U.S. installation, at the Regal L.A. Live Stadium 14. New figures show that since it opened in June 2014, the 104-seat 4DX auditorium has seen an 88 percent attendance increase over the previous year and a 300 percent revenue hike. San Andreas was a recent standout, showing double the results of regular formats in its first week of 4DX.

CJ 4Dplex CEO Byung Hwan Choi says that disaster movies like San Andreas have "traditionally done very well in 4DX." However, he points to Furious 7 (which featured wind jets to mimic the sensation of speed) as the first film to pass 1 million 4DX admissions worldwide. The company recently debuted rainstorm and snow effects at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, but Choi admits that CJ 4Dplex still is facing challenges in the U.S., where theater owners are "primarily interested in short-term profitability over technology investment."

4DX to Debut in Five South African Theaters

South Korea's CJ 4DPlex announced additional sales for "4DX" at CineEurope on Wednesday, where it signed a pact with South Africa's Nu Metro Cinemas to launch the immersive cinema technology in five locations. This is the latest development for the fast-expanding South Korean brand, which is available in 182 cinemas in 34 countries and is aiming to reach 300 auditoriums by the first half of 2016.

This will mark the African debut of 4DX, which was picked up on Tuesday by Turkey's Mars Cinema Group at the Barcelona trade show. By the end of the year, Nu Metro Cinemas will add the 4D multi-sensory effects including motion, vibration, water, wind, lighting and scents at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and The Pavillion in Durban, two key tourist attractions in South Africa. Three other sites are in the planning process, said a press release from CJ 4DPlex.

"4DX continues to outdeliver non-4D feature film performances around the world, as it expands into new markets, and now to its fifth continent,” said Byung Hwan Choi, CEO of CJ 4DPlex. "Nu Metro Cinemas has recently been adding new features and expanding its reach, and we look forward to working with them as both companies continue to grow."

"[Introducing 4DX] is a strategic move, fitting our commitment to supplying customers with a fully immersive cinema experience, utilizing the best, most up-to-date world-class technology,” stated Nitesh Matai, marketing executive at Nu Metro. "4DX fulfills those expectations as the new 4D cinemas will involve all five senses for consumers to enjoy a cinema outing like nothing else they've seen, heard, or felt before. With the introduction of 4DX, Nu Metro Cinemas now joins an elite group of cinema chains using this technology, and showcasing popular blockbusters in this groundbreaking format."

This week, 4DX celebrates the first anniversary of its debut in the U.S., where it has generated a revenue of $1.52 million. According to CJ 4DPlex, its attendance record in the Los Angeles location has nearly doubled with recent 4DX versions of Jurassic World and San Andreas, achieving opening weekend occupancy rates of over 90 percent.