Cineplex Entertainment facts for kids
Cineplex Inc. is a Canadian company that runs movie theaters and fun entertainment places! Its main office is in Toronto, Canada. It's the biggest movie theater chain in Canada. In 2019, Cineplex had 165 locations and brought in 75% of all the money made from movies in Canada.
The company started in 2003. This happened when a company called Galaxy Entertainment joined with the Canadian parts of Loews Cineplex Entertainment. Galaxy Entertainment was created in 1999 by people who used to work at Cineplex Odeon. They focused on opening big, modern cinemas in smaller towns. Later, in 2005, Cineplex bought another big movie chain called Famous Players. In 2011, Cineplex became a public company, which means anyone could buy shares in it. In 2013, they bought more theaters from Empire Theatres.
Cineplex has movie theaters all over Canada. Most of them are called Cineplex Cinemas. Some special, big locations are called Scotiabank Theatre. You might also see older names like Famous Players, SilverCity, Odeon, and Galaxy, though many of these have been updated to the Cineplex name. Cineplex also owns fun places like The Rec Room and Playdium. They have a rewards program called Scene+, an online movie store called Cineplex Store, a movie distribution company called Cineplex Pictures, and a digital advertising business called Cineplex Media.
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Formerly
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| Founded | October 4, 1999 (Galaxy Entertainment) November 26, 2003 (Cineplex-Galaxy) |
| Founder | Gerry Schwartz, Ellis Jacob and Stephen Brown |
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Number of locations
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Area served
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Canada |
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| Revenue |  CA$656.66 million (2021) |
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Operating income
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 –CA$84.29 million (2021) |
| –CA$248.72 million (2021) |
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| Total assets | CA$2.11 billion (2021) |
| Total equity | –CA$219.72 million (2021) |
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Number of employees
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Over 13,000 (2019) |
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The History of Cineplex
Early Movie Companies (1912–1998)
Cineplex's story connects to the very old Famous Players Film Company. This company started in 1912. It came to Canada in 1920 by buying a theater chain.
Later, in 1941, Odeon Theatres of Canada was created. It joined with another chain in 1978 to become Canadian Odeon Theatres.
In 1979, Garth Drabinsky and Nat Taylor started Cineplex Corporation. They opened their first "Cineplex" theater in the Toronto Eaton Centre. In 1984, Odeon and Cineplex joined to form Cineplex Odeon Corporation. This company was later bought by Loews Theatres in 1998, becoming Loews Cineplex Entertainment.
How Cineplex Started (1999–2004)
Galaxy Entertainment Inc. was started in 1999 by Ellis Jacob and Stephen Brown. They used to work for Loews Cineplex Entertainment. Their new company, Galaxy, focused on smaller towns. They opened big, modern movie theaters called Galaxy Cinemas in these areas. By 2003, Galaxy Entertainment had 19 theaters.
Around 2001, Loews Cineplex Entertainment had financial problems. In November 2003, the Canadian parts of Loews Cineplex Entertainment joined with Galaxy Entertainment. This created the Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund.
Buying Famous Players (2005–2012)
On June 13, 2005, Cineplex Galaxy announced they would buy Famous Players Theatres for about CA$500 million. This deal was completed in July 2005. To make sure there was fair competition, Cineplex sold 27 of these locations to Empire Theatres.
In October 2005, Cineplex Galaxy changed its name to Cineplex Entertainment. This showed they had grown a lot. Cineplex also bought more theaters over the years. They even bought some back that they had sold earlier.
As Cineplex grew, they started to offer more than just movies. They got into advertising and special events. They also launched a new type of entertainment place called The Rec Room. These places have live entertainment, food, and games.
New Ideas and Growth (2013–2018)
In the 2010s, Cineplex started "VIP Cinemas." These special theaters have comfy reclining seats. You can also order food and drinks right to your seat. There's a special lounge for grown-ups too. In 2014, Cineplex opened its first theater just for VIP Cinemas.
In 2013, Cineplex bought 24 more theaters from Empire Theatres. These were mainly in Eastern Canada. This helped Cineplex grow even more.
Attempted Sale to Cineworld (2019–Present)
On December 16, 2019, Cineplex announced that a British company called Cineworld Group wanted to buy them. Cineworld is the second-largest movie theater company in the world. The deal was worth about CDN$2.8 billion. If the sale happened, Cineworld would become the biggest movie theater chain in North America.
Cineplex shareholders approved the sale in February 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused all Cineplex theaters to close temporarily in March. In June 2020, Cineworld decided not to buy Cineplex. They said Cineplex had broken some rules of the sale. Cineplex disagreed and said Cineworld was wrong.
In December 2021, a court ruled that Cineworld had to pay Cineplex US$1 billion for breaking the contract. Cineworld plans to appeal this decision.
How Cineplex Operates
Movie Theater Brands
Cineplex has different types of movie theaters. The main ones are Cineplex Cinemas and Scotiabank Theatre. Cineplex Junxion is a newer type of theater. These have more arcade games, restaurants, and live entertainment areas, along with the movie screens.
Some locations still use names from older companies Cineplex bought, like Famous Players and SilverCity. However, many of these have been changed to Cineplex Cinemas or Scotiabank Theatre. Galaxy Theatres are mostly in smaller towns.
Special Movie Experiences
Cineplex offers special ways to watch movies for a higher ticket price. These include huge screens, seats that move, and VIP experiences. In 2015, Cineplex found that many people chose these special formats for big movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
- Prime Seats are special reserved seats in the best rows of the theater.
- IMAX screens are very large, wall-to-wall screens. Cineplex has 25 IMAX locations. Some even offer special 70 mm film screenings for certain movies, like Oppenheimer.
- ScreenX gives you a super wide, 270-degree view. It uses screens on the side walls too!
- UltraAVX is Cineplex's own large screen format. These theaters have huge screens, super clear 4K projectors, amazing sound, and reserved seats. Some UltraAVX rooms also have ScreenX or D-Box seats.
- D-Box seats move and vibrate with the action on the screen.
- VIP Cinemas are for grown-ups. They have a special lounge with a bar, comfy reclining seats, and you can order food right to your seat.
- 4DX is a super immersive experience. It adds special effects like wind, smells, and seat movements to the movie.
- Clubhouse is a special theater designed for kids. It has colorful seats and a play area!
Arcades and Fun Centers
Most arcades at Cineplex theaters are called Xscape Entertainment Centre. These arcades have lots of games, including ones where you can win prizes. Cineplex also opened standalone Xscape arcades in other countries.
In 2015, Cineplex launched The Rec Room. These are big entertainment centers with restaurants, bars, arcade games, and even a stage for live shows. They are designed for young adults. The first Rec Room opened in Edmonton in 2016. There are now 10 locations across Canada.
Cineplex also owns Playdium, which is an arcade and family entertainment centre for kids and teens. The first Playdium opened in 1996. While the original location closed, Cineplex relaunched Playdium with new locations in 2019. They plan to open many more Playdium centers across Canada.
In 2022, Cineplex launched Cineplex Junxion. This new movie theater idea combines elements from The Rec Room. It offers more games, food, and entertainment options alongside the movie screens.
Virtual Reality Fun
Cineplex has also explored virtual reality (VR) experiences. They had an IMAX VR center and a D-Box VR experience. Cineplex also partnered with The Void, a company that creates amazing mixed reality adventures. They also invested in VRStudios to bring more VR experiences to their locations.
Scene+ Rewards Program
Scene+ is a rewards program that started in 2007. It's owned by Scotiabank and Cineplex. You can earn points when you go to the movies or use your Scotiabank card, and then use those points for free movies or other rewards.
Food and Drinks
Many Cineplex theaters have an Outtakes restaurant where you can buy food. VIP Cinemas and some Xscape locations have special lounges with more fancy food options.
Poptopia is a place where you can get different flavored popcorn. Cineplex also offers ice cream from Yoyo's Yogurt Café, Yogen Fruz, and TCBY.
For drinks, Cineplex serves Coca-Cola products. Some locations even have Coca-Cola Freestyle machines where you can mix your own drinks. For hot drinks, they mostly have Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea. Some locations also have Tim Hortons.
In many theaters, grown-ups can buy beer or cider.
Who Runs Cineplex
The main leader of Cineplex Entertainment is Ellis Jacob. Other important people on the board of directors help make big decisions for the company.
See also
- List of Cineplex Entertainment movie theatres
- Landmark Cinemas - the second largest movie theatre chain in Canada
