Cinema chain Ster-Kinekor has announced plans to build its first IMAX theatre in Gauteng, at a Pretoria mall. It’s the second IMAX theatre to be opened in South Africa following the launch last year of the first such facility at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping north of Durban.
Ster-Kinekor CEO Fiaz Mahomed said last year that the company, which is owned by Primedia, had been approached several times to reintroduce IMAX in South Africa but had felt the timing was not right. The Pretoria site is located at The Grove Mall, east of the city.
IMAX theatres in South Africa were previously operated by rival Nu Metro and later by Old Mutual.
Mahomed said the move from 70mm IMAX film to digital projectors played a big role in Ster-Kinekor’s decision. “Unless it was offered at a ridiculous ticket price, the 70mm format was not sustainable.”
The doors to the new Pretoria theatre are expected to open in June. “Our new cinema complex in the upgraded entertainment area of this iconic mall is performing exceptionally well and is a promising site for us,” he said.
Construction on the new Gauteng theatre will begin later this month. The expected completion date is June, to coincide with the international release of Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction. This film is being filmed partly using IMAX’s new 3D digital cameras. — (c) 2014 NewsCentral Media