Moving Seats, Rain and Wind
American moviegoers felt the emotional impact of Dolby surround sound when the Imperial Star Destroyer roared over their heads in the opening of “Star Wars” in 1977. In the words of industry experts, that movie “put Dolby on the marquee.”
The same may be said for what summer’s blockbuster, “Twisters,” has done for 4DX and ScreenX theaters.
4DX and ScreenX are multi-sensory and immersive theater experiences created by CJ 4DPLEX, an affiliate of South Korea’s CJ Group. ScreenX theaters have screens on both sides of the wall in addition to the main screen, giving moviegoers a 270-degree view. Theaters using 4DX have 20 special effects – moving seats, warm air, bubbles, snow, and more – timed to the action on the screen.
4DX launched in South Korea in 2009 and debuted in its first U.S. theater in 2014. Post-Covid, attendance at 4DX and ScreenX theaters has rapidly risen as moviegoers seek experiences that cannot be replicated at home. “Twisters” has put them on the marquee. As terrifying tornadoes and rainstorms whipped across the screen, moviegoers’ seats heaved and lurched, and water sprayed from above. “Twisters” was one of 4DX’s strongest opening weekends of the year.
But beyond the novelty and revenue, 4DX and ScreenX theaters may be a key for revitalizing the movie theater industry, which was nearly crippled by Covid-19 and the rise of high-end home theaters.
Covid-19 accelerated the expansion of home entertainment. The combination of affordable technology and multiple streaming services persuaded many adult moviegoers they can have the theater experience in the comfort of their homes. The youngest generations of movie fans, accustomed to fully immersive experiences in theme parks, gaming and sharable digital media content, demand more from entertainment than just watching a movie on a screen.
The allure of the theater has always been about the shared experience; the collective gasps and the communal laughter. ScreenX and 4DX tap into this by offering experiences that are unattainable at home. From the first theater in Los Angeles, 4DX has expanded to 56 screens in the U.S. and nearly 800 worldwide. Over 100 4DX systems are planned for the domestic market by the end of 2026.
The 4DX experience is complemented by ScreenX, which has more than 400 screens worldwide. ScreenX has been well-received by directors and producers interested in experimenting with new storytelling techniques. For example, in ScreenX, the final Live Aid concert scene - in the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” - is shown across all three screens. However, when the film cuts to singer Freddie Mercury’s parents watching at home on TV, the side screens go black, effectively drawing the audience’s attention to the emotionally moved parents.
To support and enhance the development of the ScreenX format, a new visual effects studio was opened in Seoul last year with more than 60 VFX artists. It works with the major studios from pre-production to understand which scenes will benefit most from ScreenX. Last year, 17 Hollywood movies were released in ScreenX; this year, that number will rise to 26. The goal is to do every blockbuster and expand production to more than 30 annually.
These viewing experiences face two of the biggest challenges in the theater industry: attracting young viewers and getting people to pay for movie theater tickets.
However, the data is encouraging. The target demographic for 4DX is primarily 10 to 30-year-olds. This age group, which includes a significant portion of Gen-Z, seeks experiences that are dynamic and shareable. After seeing a 4DX or ScreenX film, they often talk about it on social media, generating organic buzz that amplifies word-of-mouth marketing.
Another encouraging data point: People are willing to pay a premium price to get something they cannot get at home. A 4DX ticket costs, on average, $8 more than a regular movie ticket. Last year, U.S. 4DX box office recorded $50 million in ticket sales, and conservatively, revenue is on track to grow by 22 percent this year to $60 million. The biggest movie to date is “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which produced a global box office of $83.6 million in 4DX.
Unlike 3D and virtual reality, 4DX and ScreenX experiences are no fad. They require no vision-limiting glasses or headgear. With ScreenX and 4DX premium formats, viewers are not only surrounded by images, they feel wind and temperature changes, smell scents and are literally forced to hold on to their seats.
A large marketing effort was planned for “Twisters” in 4DX, but it turned out the movie's fans were doing it on their own. They generated tens of thousands of “Twisters” related mentions and unique social media posts, ultimately generating over 100 million video views across all social media channels in the first week of opening. The social media phenomenon did not stop with “Twisters,” as "Deadpool vs. Wolverine" set another opening week record for 4DX. A few weeks later, “Aliens: Romulus” saw 4DX significantly outperform IMAX and other premium formats in per screen average box office.
It is still early days for 4DX and ScreenX, but moviegoers’ response so far has been encouraging.
Don Savant is CEO of CJ 4DPLEX America.
