Surround-Screen Viewing Is Coming to Australia: Event Cinemas' New ScreenX Projects Movies Over Three Walls

Call it cinema, the movies, the pictures, the big screen, the silver screen, a glorious excuse to sit in a darkened room without your phone for at least 90 minutes: whichever you prefer, the experience it refers to is usually the same. You hit up your favourite/most convenient theatre, get comfortable in your chosen chair, maybe munch on popcorn or a choc top, and stare at the giant rectangle in front of you as the magic happens. Sometimes the shape that glistens with films is bigger than normal, but there's always just one of them — until now. Meet ScreenX, Australia's first-ever surround-screen viewing experience, which'll use three screens within one movie theatre.

Meet the new trend that is multi-projection, too, which is debuting Down Under thanks to Event Cinemas. In the chain's ScreenX's auditoriums, there'll be a trio of screens: one right there at the front where it usually is, plus one over the left wall and another across the right wall.

Three walls, three screens, a 270-degree field of view: that's the maths. ScreenX will premiere on the Gold Coast, launching at Event Cinemas Robina on Thursday, August 17; however, that's just the beginning of the rollout.

Event Cinemas plans to take the concept nationwide, including hitting Sydney by the time that 2023 is out. The exact details of which other sites will be scoring the ScreenX experience, and when, haven't yet been revealed — but only peering forwards is about to become outdated.

If your first question is "how big will this three-screen setup get as it envelops everything that I can see, including my peripheral vision?", the answer is up to 67.7 metres in width. The surround-screen format will be paired with surround sound, of course, to truly immerse two of your senses. And while you watch, you'll be in recliners to get as comfortable as possible.

If your burning query is "which films can I see?" — aka which flicks will make you feel like you've walked right into them — the response there is: big blockbusters and epic spectacles. Among the upcoming slate of releases, Dune: Part Two, The Marvels and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are all getting the ScreenX treatment at Robina. The cinema is also looking backwards, too — not literally, just into past hits — with Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

(Cross your fingers that Barbie and Oppenheimer also get the nod down the line.)

"At Event Cinemas, we are dedicated to bringing the best range of cinema experiences to Australian audiences. ScreenX
is popular globally and we can't wait for our local audiences to experience it. Our next stop will be Sydney," said Luke Mackey, Director of Entertainment Australia for EVT (which owns Event Cinemas), announcing ScreenX.

"We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Event Cinemas by premiering Australia's first ScreenX experience," added Don Savant, ScreenX's Chief Business Officer.

"Our talented team of ScreenX visual effects artists work closely with the Hollywood studios and top talent to truly differentiate movie going. ScreenX provides an unparalleled experience in a completely unique format to watch the biggest blockbuster films."

If there are three giant screens showing each movie in every ScreenX auditorium, patrons will have no excuse not to put their own tiny screen — aka their phone — away while the film plays.

Event Cinemas' new ScreenX experience launches at Event Cinemas Robina on Thursday, August 17, with a national rollout to follow — including in Sydney later in 2023. Head to the chain's website for further details.