‘Twisters’ Returns to 4DX Theaters, But Consumer Awareness Needed

Hot on the heels of its recently released hit sequel, the 1996 film “Twister” returns to theaters this weekend in 4DX 4D theaters. This means that audiences will experience the tornado films through a multi-sensory experience with shaking seats, wind, fog and lighting effects.

It follows a remarkable summer for 4DX. In July, with the help of some savvy marketing and social media buzz, “Twisters” set a record for 4DX’s strongest domestic opening weekend of the year, pulling in $2.3 million. A week later, “Deadpool & Wolverine” debuted and shattered that record with a domestic opening weekend of $2.8 million.

“4DX is driving the demographic that movie theater owners really want to get back into the theater,” Don Savant, CEO of CJ4DPLEX Americas, suggested in an interview with VIP+, adding that it can give the 10- to 30-year-old age group “something they can’t get at home and something that’s dynamic.”

CJ 4DPLEX, based in Seoul, South Korea, owns the 4DX brand and currently has 55 auditoriums (out of 792 worldwide). Other smaller players in the 4D category include MediaMation’s MX4D and D-Box.

They all face obstacles, perhaps the most notable of which is consumer awareness. When asked about their level of interest in 4D movies, a new study from Variety Intelligence Platform and Civic Science found that 26% of respondents had never heard of a 4D movie and a whopping 74% had never seen one.

Part of this lack of awareness may be due to the fact that the US has a limited number of installations, generally focused on large cities like Los Angeles (which has multiple locations, including one at LA Live) and New York (the largest, in Regal Union Square).

The VIP+/Civic Science survey — conducted August 23-29 — also found that 4D may not be for everyone. Twenty-three percent said they were somewhat interested in 4D movies, while another 23 percent were not at all interested. Only 10 percent said they were very interested.

The survey found that 18% cited the higher ticket price as the main reason they would not be interested in seeing a movie in 4D. The ticket price is on average about $8 more than a standard movie ticket.

Other reasons theatergoers are staying away: 15% of respondents said it seemed “gimmicky,” and another 15% said there were no 4D venues nearby.

Savant sees the biggest challenge to growing the market as the capital expenditures required to build and equip new 4D auditoriums, something he continues to focus on. By 2026, he hopes to have about 100 screens in the U.S.

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As for the content itself, the “Twisters”/“Twister” screenings seem to be the type of pairing that would interest 4D audiences. Thirty-two percent of respondents to the VIP+/Civic Science survey said they would like to see action-adventure/fantasy films in 4D.

That could be good news for studios that see 4D as an opportunity to boost box office. Upcoming 4DX releases include Disney’s “Moana 2” and “Mufasa”; Columbia’s “Venom: The Last Dance” and “Kraven the Hunter”; Paramount’s “Transformers One,” “Smile 2,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Gladiator 2”; Universal’s “The Wild Robot” and “Wicked”; and Warner Bros.’ “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Joker: Folie à Deux,” “Red One” and “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.”