IMAX announced today a new partnership with Canadian theater chain Cineplex to bring an IMAX VR Center to the Scotiabank Theater in Toronto. As part of the deal, IMAX will also install auditoriums at one other cinema in Toronto, and one in Regina, Saskatchewan.
IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond said via press release that Cineplex, “has led the way in expanding the IMAX network across Canada and is now the first to launch an IMAX VR Center in the country. We believe the Center will give audiences of all ages a new level of immersive entertainment experiences.”
Located on Richmond Street West near Toronto’s Theatre District, the Scotiabank theatre is perfectly situated to attract visitors to Toronto’s increasingly-touristed downtown. The theater’s current box office will be moved to the second floor to make room for the VR center.
The Scotiabank Theatre hosts viewings each year during the Toronto International Film Festival. One can’t help but wonder if the new VR Center will be used to screen VR and 360-degree festival entries in the coming years.
Back in February, we toured the first IMAX VR Centre in Los Angeles. By March, that same center had seen over 15,000 admissions. In addition to LA, New York already has an IMAX VR Center, and eight more scheduled to be completed this year in cities around the world.
