Ice Theaters, a premium cinema offering developed by French exhibitor CGR Cinémas, has announced a partnership with Spain’s Ocine circuit, bringing the Ice Theaters experience to that country for the first time. Two Ice Theaters auditoriums will open in Barcelona Ocine locations tied to the worldwide release of Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick in May of next year.
Premium formats like Ice have proven valuable to exhibitors as they recover from Covid-induced shutdowns, providing customers with a moviegoing experience impossible to get at home. Created in 2017, Ice Theaters offers an immersive cinema experience through a combination of 4K RGB laser projection; immersive Dolby Atmos sound; leather recliners; and non-reflective LED panels alongside the theaters’ side walls, programmed to use color and shape to complement viewing experience without overwhelming or distracting audiences from the film. After launching in France, Ice Theaters expanded to the United States–with Los Angeles’ Regal L.A. Live—and Saudi Arabia, through a partnership with Vox Cinemas.
Throughout 2021, 24 films were released in Ice auditoriums, including Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which marked the 100th film encoded in the Ice Immersive format. Upcoming films to be released in Ice Theaters locations include Top Gun: Maverick, Dune, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Matrix: Resurrections.
“We were blown away by what we saw in La Rochelle, when Ice Theaters presented its very innovative premium format, providing this unique peripheral vision from start to finish,” said Ocine CEO Esteve Agusti of the circuit’s decision to partner with Ice Theaters. “I believe it’s what our audiences have been craving for a long time and it was about time we offered it to them, now theaters are reopening their doors. We must offer our savvy customers an experience they cannot replicate at home, and I am confident the premium format will allow us to do so. Ice Theaters will help us push the barrier even further in regards to creating an immersive theatrical experience, with a business model that totally fits our needs as an exhibitor.”
Added Jocelyn Bouyssy, managing director at Ice Theaters: “We are delighted to be working with renowned brand Ocine, who share the same values as our parent company CGR Cinémas. They care about their customers and maintain some of the highest standards in the industry. Ocine invests in new renovation programs to continuously innovate and offer the latest technology to their clientele. We are thrilled to see our product launch in a brand-new territory, following the USA with Regal L.A Live in December 2019 and Saudi Arabia with Vox Cinemas in February 2020. Opening in Spain, one of Europe’s top markets for cinema, is a huge milestone for Ice Theaters.”
Share this post