People wait for movie screening at an IMAX theatre inside the Wanda Plaza in Xinxiang, Henan province, China March 23, 2018. Picture taken March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Stella Qiu
"We got lunch, we went to the movies and had a fun day together," said Stark. "They loved it. They were amazed by how big was." The growing appeal of giant screens, room-pulsing audio, moving seats and simulated environmental effects, such as rain or the scent of pine forests, offer a glimpse of how theaters aim to thrive in the streaming era. Researcher Comscore predicts the formats will account for 16.7% of 2023 domestic ticket sales, up from 9.2% in 2019.That's likely to be a hot topic at the annual CinemaCon convention that opens Monday in Las Vegas.
Giant screen options include pioneer IMAX and various premium large formats created by theater chains. As a sign of its importance, Universal's Orr and other studio distribution executives said they consult Gelfond about IMAX screen availability before setting movie release dates.This summer will test audience fervor for enhanced experiences, said Jeff Bock, analyst for Exhibitor Relations Co. Large screens will be jammed starting in May with Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.