As a seasoned gamer with countless hours spent in the comfort of my gaming chair, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia when reading about this theater upgrade spree. The thought of immersive sound systems, laser projection, and even pickleball courts brings back memories of those golden days at the arcade, where games were more than just pixels on a screen.
Over the next three years, the eight major movie theater chains in the U.S. and Canada have declared their intention to invest approximately $2.2 billion to modernize over 21,000 screens. This investment will enhance projection quality, sound systems, seating comfort, and dining options, with certain venues even introducing additional recreational features such as pickleball courts and ziplines. Initial reports of this development were made by Variety.
According to the head honcho of the National Association of Theatre Owners, Michael O’Leary, there’s a sense of positivity about the movie theater industry’s upcoming prospects. As he puts it, “People are returning to our cinemas,” and to keep up with customer demands, improvements will be made to shared spaces and seating areas for an enhanced experience.
The ongoing pandemic, combined with Hollywood strikes and the surge in streaming platforms, has taken a toll on cinemas, as this summer’s box office revenue dropped by 13% compared to the previous year. Cinema-goers have expressed worries about the condition of theaters, identifying cleanliness, seating comfort, and projection quality as issues that need attention. However, O’Leary assured that theater management is actively working on resolving these problems.
The investment will fund upgrades in laser projection, immersive sound, and amenities like arcades, bowling, and, yes, ziplines. The eight chains include AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Cineplex, B&B Theatres, Marcus Theatres, Harkins Theatres, and Santikos Entertainment.
Speaking about the future, Bob Bagby, CEO of B&B Theatres, stated that this investment is part of our sector’s dedication to preserving the one-of-a-kind theater experience for many generations to come.
Image credit: Getty Images/Hindustan Times
Read More
- CKB PREDICTION. CKB cryptocurrency
- EUR INR PREDICTION
- PBX PREDICTION. PBX cryptocurrency
- PENDLE PREDICTION. PENDLE cryptocurrency
- IMX PREDICTION. IMX cryptocurrency
- USD DKK PREDICTION
- USD VND PREDICTION
- TANK PREDICTION. TANK cryptocurrency
- W PREDICTION. W cryptocurrency
- ICP PREDICTION. ICP cryptocurrency
2024-09-19 22:08