CJ 4DPlex says it finished 2017 with record gross box office and attendance for its 4DX immersive seating cinema format. Additionally, the company says, more new 4DX locations opened in 2017 than any other year, reaching 475 locations worldwide.
In the past five years, box office revenue and admissions to 4DX theatres worldwide have grown to approximately $230 million and 19 million in 2017, respectively – up from $38 million and 2.9 million in 2012. This success has largely been driven by a rapidly increasing global footprint for 4DX, and a growing number of movie titles being made available in the format.
As of December 2017, there are 475 4DX locations around the world – up 37 percent from 346 in December 2016, 223 in 2015, 140 in 2014, 87 in 2013 and 40 in 2012. From 2013 through 2017, an average of 80 movies per year have been released in 4DX. In 2017, 101 titles were shown in 4DX – more than triple the 31 available in 2012.
"As 2018 begins, we can feel the wind at our backs – both literally and figuratively – and are excited for the new milestones we will surge past in the new year," said Byung-Hwan Choi, CEO of CJ 4DPlex. “We have strong partners around the world and are encouraged by the responses 4DX is getting from exhibitors and producers, as well as from moviegoers who are packing theatres around the world to watch their favorite films in the most exciting cinema format.”
In terms of attendance, particularly steep year-over-year increases were seen as the number of attendees choosing the 4DX theatre experience continued to rise in several regions around the world. In North America (U.S. and Canada), attendance grew 89 percent from 2016 to 2017. In China, the largest market for 4DX, attendance grew 88 percent. In Europe, attendance increased 34 percent, led by 61 percent growth in the UK alone.
According to CJ 4DPlex, 4DX occupancy rates also continue to outpace industry averages, with the five best-performing countries being Norway (67 percent average occupancy rate), France (52 percent), Egypt (48 percent), Canada (42 percent) and India (41 percent).
CJ 4DPlex www.cj4dplex.com