Is Immersive Cinema the future for movie theaters

Many of us may not have been to the movie theater since before the pandemic, and have grown accustomed to streaming movies from the comfort of our own homes. In the pre-pandemic world, you might have to wait months after the theater premier to see a movie at home. But during quarantine, several movie studios accelerated streaming releases, sometimes having a movie premier in theaters and online on the same day.

As we move into the post-pandemic period, theaters may find themselves having to try harder to draw in customers to compete with streaming services. One way to do so is by introducing new products into the movie theater experience. Theaters internationally have been attempting to provide a more immersive cinema experience, including state-of-the-art audio and visual systems. Some theaters are employing peripheral screens to promote immersion, allowing the audience to really get lost in the film. So how did immersive cinema become the hottest new innovation in the film industry? The origins might surprise you. 

It started with a board game…

The first Immersive Cinema Experience (ICE) movie theaters were launched by a French multiplex company. These immersive movie theaters use top-of-the-line technology to deliver a crisp and clear audio-visual experience. They also utilize peripheral screen panels to extend the display field, giving the viewer the feeling of being integrated into the world of the movie.

These ICE theaters are finally making an appearance in the United States, and the French company CGR Cinemas has chosen the upcoming Jumanji film to debut the technology. Partnering with the multiplex company, Regal LA Live will be using Jumanji: The Next Level to bring the ICE theater format to American audiences for the first time. Some proponents of the ICE system suggest this may be just what is necessary to bring our movie theaters into the future of cinema. 

And grew into a whole new world

If you want nothing more than to be completely absorbed by the media you watch, then ICE is the best way to watch a movie. As immersive cinema theaters continue to grow in popularity and prevalence, your local cinema will likely begin to incorporate immersive cinema domes into their theaters.

Not only can these domes be used to increase the immersion of movies, but theme parks and other entertainment industries have begun to adopt immersive reality technology as well. At Immersive-FX, we specialize in expertly crafted virtual and immersive reality screens which have both corporate and consumer benefits. No matter what kind of media you’re interested in, our screens are guaranteed to bring your viewing experience to the next level.