Moving up down under
Updated: 2016-05-26 08:57
By Xu Fan(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
Kelly Osbourne and Jack Black arrive for the Australian premiere of Kung Fu Panda 3 at Hoyts Cinemas in Sydney on March 13.[Photo provided to China Daily] |
The Dalian Wanda Group-the new owner of Hoyts, Australia's second-largest cinema chain-aims to improve the viewing experiences of movie fans in Oz. Xu Fan reports. Xu Fan
With cinema renovations and screenings of Chinese-language movies, China's largest cinema operator, Wanda, seems to be influencing how Australians watch movies.
Dalian Wanda Group, which was initially a property developer, has not hidden its ambitions to become a global entertainment powerhouse. In 2012, it bought the cinema chain AMC Entertainment in the United States. It bought Hoyts, Australia's second-largest cinema chain, a year ago.
While box-office returns rose 14 percent in Australia last year, a mere handful of cinemas are built in the country every year, says Damian Keogh, the chief executive of Hoyts. In that light, making what exists more comfortable and improving visual and sound systems seems like a sensible way of coaxing more people to the movies.
Hoyts says it expects that more than 35 percent of its 450 or so screens and 50 cinemas will be renovated this year. In the refurbished cinemas viewers can recline on their seats and are given much more room to stretch their legs.
According to some estimates those luxuries can take up to twice as much space as previous furnishings.
Ticket sales have risen, but Vincent Lloyd, the chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Hoyts, says "it is still too early to see what the overall lift will be.
"Hoyts is doing the renovations to improve the customer experience ... so far it has not changed the ticket prices at most of the renovated sites."
About 1 million of Australia's population of 24 million are either Chinese immigrants or of Chinese ancestry, and those who want to watch entertainment in their native language seem to be increasingly accommodated for.
When the Sino-US animated film Kung Fu Panda 3 was released in Australia in March, its Mandarin version-and not simply a dubbed version-was screened in Hoyts' cinemas.
- 2,000 refugees relocated on first day of major police operation
- No sign of EgyptAir plane technical problems before takeoff
- Chinese students at U. of Iowa accused of online cheating
- US Justice Dept. seeks death penalty for South Carolina shooter
- Global health entering new era: WHO chief
- Brazil's planning minister steps aside after recordings revelation
- Fireworks light up Shanghai Disneyland
- VR, robots, mini drones: Highlights of big data expo in Guiyang
- Top 10 saving countries in the world
- Men vs. Machine: different robots in daily life
- Following Alibaba, its online merchants now eye listings
- Traditional dresses for Yugur women in Northwest China
- Students pose for graduation photo with performance
- Kids climb vine ladder in 'cliff village' in Sichuan
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |