The new Australian owners of SkyCity Cinemas say the movie Avatar has hastened the digital upgrade of the chain, which has 106 screens in New Zealand.
Amalgamated Holdings (AHL) managing director David Seargeant said the success of Avatar had highlighted the need to speed up the transition to digital cinemas, which are necessary for the new generation of 3D movies.
Avatar screens in 3D and and 2D and there are only 19 3D cinemas in the country at present.
AHL - which owns the Greater Union and Birch, Carroll and Coyle chains in Australia and a total of 1300 screens internationally - bought SkyCity Cinemas for $61.1 million this month.
It takes over in mid-February but has yet to announce new branding for the chain, which dominates the Auckland market and has 35 per cent of the national cinema market. Seargeant said New Zealand was behind Australia in the shift to digital cinemas. The transition is built partly on an agreement between exhibitors and Hollywood distributors to contribute to the costs.
"Avatar has had an impact and there are more 3D movies to come. Its success is making us look at plans."
Avatar has earned $10.9 million after just five weeks in New Zealand. Motion Picture Distributors Association figures show it is the fastest film to make $10 million here, doing so in 31 days. The next, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, took 33 days.
NZ ALL-TIME BOX OFFICE TOP 5
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring $14.54m
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King $13.59m
Titanic $12.91m
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers $12.08m
Avatar $10.9m
'Avatar' speeds shift to digital cinemas
Avatar's stunning special effects are best appreciated in 3D, and there are only 19 3D cinemas in New Zealand.
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