

IMAX has dominated the market for premium large formats in movie theaters for decades, a format which has become significant portion of blockbusters’ revenue in recent years. Now, a new face in the industry plans to make a splash by the name of Epic.
European movie theater chain Vue plans on opening up 11 screens across the continent. The new premium large format (PLF) will include Dolby Atmos sound and high definition resolution from Barco laser projection. Vue CEO Tim Richards said in an interview that it has the “very latest and best possible sight and sound technology available.”
The first of these screens is set to open in Nottingham, U.K. at the end of July. On top of the 11 screens currently underway, the chain has plans for 50 more theaters to be spread across Europe by the end of 2027. While this may seem like a lot, IMAX currently has over 200 premium format screens in operation, so Epic has a lot of catching up to do. Additionally, the name recognition that IMAX has cannot be understated, with many major movies now encouraging audiences to watch their film in IMAX. Still, as time goes on and if Epic expands past Europe, they could prove as a serious rival for IMAX.
Regardless, this is good news for the average moviegoer, as there may be a higher chance for there to be a premium format screen in your area. While there are a good number of IMAX screens, most are condensed to major cities, so there are many people who cannot reasonably see films in IMAX without traveling several hours. With higher demand and more competition, it is only a matter of time before we see more PLF screens being built.
