Multiplexes

A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens. They vary in size from three screens upward. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an already existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an extension or expansion of the building. The largest of these complexes can be very large and sit thousands of people, and are sometimes referred to as a megaplex.


Definitions of what constitutes a multiplex versus a megaplex is related to the number of screens, but often the comparison is arbitrary. For example, 12 to 20 screens may constitute a multiplex, whereas theaters above 20 screens may be branded a megaplex.[1] Megaplex theaters sometimes feature stadium seating and other amenities often not found at smaller movie theaters. Multiplex theatres often feature regular seating.
[edit] History

[edit] Origins

The lineage of multiplex movie theaters traces its roots back to the 1930s, although the concept truly did not begin to take root until the mid-1960s.[2]

In December 1947, Nat Taylor, the operator of the Elgin Theatre in Ottawa, Canada, opened a smaller second theater ("Litle Elgin") next door to his first theater. It wasn't until 1957, however, that Taylor decided to run different movies in each theater, when he became annoyed at having to replace films that were still making money with new releases.[2] Taylor opened dual-screen theaters in 1962 in Place Ville Marie in Montreal, Quebec, and at Yorkdale Plaza in Toronto, Ontario, in 1964.

In 1937, James Edwards twinned his Alhambra Theater in the Los Angeles area by converting an adjacent storefront into a second "annex" screen. While both screens would show the same feature movie, one would also offer a double bill. It did not convert to showing different movies on both screens until some time after Taylor.[2]

In 1963, AMC Theatres opened the two-screen Parkway Twin in Kansas City, a concept which company president Stan Durwood later claimed to have come up with in 1962, realizing he could double the revenue of a single theater "by adding a second screen and still operate with the same size staff."[2][3] Also, the shopping center structure where the Parkway was located could not support a large theater, so two small theaters were built to avoid that issue, and at first both theaters played the same film. AMC followed up on the Parkway Twin with a four-screen theatre in 1966 and a six-screen theatre in 1969.[4]
[edit] Screen Wars

Opening in April 1979, co-founded by Nat Taylor, the world's largest theater became the 18-screen Cineplex in Toronto's Eaton Centre,[5] which was expanded to 21 screens by at least 1981.[6]

In November 1988, Kinepolis Brussels opened with 25 screens,[7] and is often credited as being the first "megaplex."[8]

On December 30, 1996, AMC Ontario Mills 30, a 30-screen theatre, opened in Ontario, California, and became the theatre with the most screens in the world.[9]
[edit] Largest cinema complex (megaplex)

Kinepolis Madrid opened in Spain on 17 September 1998; it is the world's largest cinema complex, with a total seating capacity of 9,200 from its 25 screens, which can each seat between 211 and 996 people.
[edit] United States
Rave

Motion Pictures Ann Arbor

In the United States, the 14-screen Cineplex in the Beverly Center Mall in West Hollywood, California, became the country's largest upon opening in 1982.[10] (The Beverly Center Cinemas closed in June 2010).

In December 1988, Studio 28 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, expanded from 12 to 20 screens with a seating capacity of 6,000.[11] (Studio 28 closed in November 2008).

The AMC Grand 24 opened in Dallas, Texas 1995 as the first 24-screen multiplex built from the ground up in the United States.[1] AMC Theatres has since built many megaplexes with up to 30 screens, starting with the AMC Ontario Mills 30. After a lease renewal dispute with the property owner, the AMC Grand 24 will close by November 30, 2010.[12]
[edit] Australia

The largest megaplex in the Southern Hemisphere is the 26-screen Megaplex Marion in Adelaide, South Australia. The megaplex was originally a 30-screen megaplex but was modified to accommodate Gold Class screens. The auditoriums sit on top of Westfield Marion, which is the largest shopping complex in Adelaide.
[edit] India

In India, the mushrooming of multiplexes since the mid-90s has changed the dynamics of the Indian Film Industry.India's first multiplex was PVR ANUPAM with 4 screens in it and was opened in 1992 at DELHI. Production costs are now recovered in days, not months and viewers have accepted the concept. There have been concerns over high ticket prices, and the phenomena has predominantly been restricted to the larger cities, but Indian cinema chains like INOX, PVR (Priya Village Roadshow) and CineMax are changing the rules of exhibition in the world's largest film industry. The Largest Multiplex in India is the 14-screen multiplex by Mayajaal in East Coast Road, Chennai.
[edit] Effects

During a high period of growth in many towns, the competition presented by a multiplex would often put the town's smaller theaters out of business. Multiplexes were often developed in conjunction with big box stores in power centres or in suburban malls during the 70s and 80s. The expansion was executed at the big-box pace which left many theater companies bankrupt while attempting to compete — almost all major movie theater companies went bankrupt during this hasty development process; however, AMC Theatres did not go into bankruptcy.

The early U.S. megaplexes sparked a wave of megaplex building across the United States. This was financed in part by a sale-leaseback model with Entertainment Properties Trust.
[edit] Criticism

Multiplex Movie Theaters are a major factor in increasing Car Dependency and will saturate the market in a local area for movie theaters. This creates a "void" where there are no smaller movie theaters and limits the number of smaller, evenly distributed cinemas. With "Peak Oil" looming many Metropolitan Planning Organizations and planning commissions have stopped granting permits for any new multiplexes