AMC Entertainment’s Odeon Cinemas Group has expanded its pact with Imax by defining locations for new giant screens in five European markets.
Odeon, one of the UK’s oldest exhibitors, will upgrade six Imax cinemas in the UK with laser projection systems, while defining locations for nine new previously contracted cinemas across Europe. This includes four new theaters in Spain, two in Italy and one theater in Germany, Sweden and the UK.
All locations will be open by 2025. The expanded partnership was announced at CineEurope in Spain.
“We are delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with Imax, as we continue to invest in our field to improve films for our customers. We’ve been encouraged by the number of returning guests, looking for the most immersive experience possible, and look forward to the rest of the year with confidence, supported by a range of great films to show them off,” Mark Way, president of AMC Europe and chief executive of Odeon Cinemas Group, said in a statement Monday.
Imax has done business with Odeon for around 15 years, with the UK-based operator opening its first giant-screen cinema in 2008. This was followed by a deal for 25 Imax cinemas in 2017, making Odeon the most major European acquirer and operator of giant cinemas in Europe.
In 2016, AMC Entertainment, which does business as AMC Theaters, acquired Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group for approximately $1.2 billion.
