IMAX CInemas Making A Comeback In SA

Following the success of The IMAX Experience at two Ster-Kinekor sites – Gateway in Durban and The Grove Mall in Pretoria – the cinema chain has announced that it will open a third IMAX theatre this December. Cape Town audiences will soon be able to enjoy the IMAX cinematic experience when the new cinema opens at Ster-Kinekor Cape Gate on 11 December.

One of the auditoriums at this site met all the stringent IMAX specifications in terms of in-theatre geometry to provide audiences with maximum immersion. The cinema has been transformed to include a floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall IMAX screen, superior acoustical treatment and IMAX’s projection and sound technology.

IMAX’s projection system – which delivers crystal-clear images – coupled with its customised theatre design and powerful digital sound system, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the film.

Fans of IMAX who are based in Johannesburg are next in line to enjoy this immersive cinema experience. Ster-Kinekor and IMAX have confirmed that a fourth theatre will be installed at the new, revamped Ster-Kinekor site at Eastgate shopping mall, in the second half of 2015. This latest deal brings Ster-Kinekor’s IMAX commitment to four theatres in under two years.

Says Fiaz Mahomed, CEO of Ster-Kinekor Theatres: “Following the successful openings of our first two IMAX theatres at Gateway and The Grove, and their ongoing performance since then, we have been assessing a variety of sites for the next IMAX theatre. It was always our plan to open an IMAX cinema in Cape Town, and CapeGate was selected as the most feasible venue to accommodate the complex conversion. We believe this new cinema will prove as popular with local cinema audiences as our other two theatres.”

Representing IMAX at the CapeGate opening will be Giovanni Dolci, VP Theatre Development, EMEA at IMAX Corporation, who says:  “It is wonderful to be coming back into South Africa again, and so soon after the launches of both Gateway and The Grove. We are impressed with the success of the first two sites and look forward to this new theatre achieving equally positive results.”

“We entered into the initial partnership with Ster-Kinekor last year with the belief that it would not only raise our visibility in South Africa, but also set the stage for mutual growth opportunities in the region. It is encouraging to see that this is already bearing fruit, with the CapeGate site scheduled to open just six months after The Grove’s opening. South Africa was one of a number of new markets that we entered in 2013, and it is clear there is a growing appetite for IMAX here. We look forward to working with Ster-Kinekor to further entrench the IMAX brand locally,” Dolci said.

On Thursday, 11 December, the new IMAX theatre at CapeGate will enjoy its public opening with pre-release screenings of the final film in The Hobbit trilogy, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. As one of the most anticipated films of 2014, it brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and the Company of Dwarves.

“The IMAX Experience takes viewing a film to the next level. With films such as The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (releasing nationwide on 12 December),  Exodus: Gods and Kings (26 December) and Taken 3 (16 January 2015) scheduled for IMAX release in the next few months, we are looking forward to a busy holiday period that will give Ster-Kinekor a positive push-start into the New Year,” concludes Mahomed.