CJ 4DPLEX

Overview

CJ 4DPLEX is a Seoul-based cinema technology company and an affiliate of CJ CGV, South Korea's largest cinema chain. The company develops and licenses premium theatrical formats including 4DX (multi-sensory motion seating with environmental effects), SCREENX (270-degree multi-projection panoramic viewing), and Ultra 4DX (combining both technologies). CJ 4DPLEX is headquartered in Seoul with international offices in Los Angeles, Beijing, and London. The company is distinct from CJ ENM, its sister company within the CJ Group conglomerate, which handles film production and distribution.

As of early 2026, CJ 4DPLEX operates 1,245 combined 4DX and SCREENX locations across 80 countries, including over 780 4DX auditoriums in 70-plus countries and over 430 SCREENX auditoriums in 40 countries. In 2025, 4DX and SCREENX together generated $497 million in global box office revenue, a 32% year-over-year increase that significantly outperformed the broader theatrical market. The company signed 198 new locations in 2025 with exhibitors including AMC, Cinepolis, Cinemark, and Showtime Cinemas.

CEO Jun Bang leads the global company, with Don Savant serving as CEO of CJ 4DPLEX Americas. The company's revenue model is based on licensing its technology to exhibitor partners and sharing in the premium ticket revenue generated by 4DX and SCREENX screenings.

4DX Format

4DX launched in 2009 as a CJ CGV initiative to combat the growing threat of home entertainment by offering a theatrical experience that could not be replicated at home. Each 4DX auditorium incorporates motion-based seating synchronized with more than 21 different effects, including wind, rain, snow, fog, lightning, vibration, and scents, all programmed by a team of skilled editors who optimize the effects for each film. Nearly 300 films received the 4DX treatment across 2024 and 2025.

In 2025, 4DX generated $370 million in global box office: $81 million from just 67 US screens and $289 million internationally. This per-screen performance demonstrates the outsized revenue impact of 4DX for blockbuster releases. Major 4DX titles in 2025 included Avatar: Fire and Ash and F1: The Movie. The format is particularly effective for action, sci-fi, and adventure films where environmental effects enhance immersion.

SCREENX Format

SCREENX launched in 2012 as an advertising format and moved into feature films in 2016. The technology expands select scenes from the film onto the left and right walls of the auditorium, creating a 270-degree panoramic field of view. The format has grown from just a few titles annually to 96 features across 2024 and 2025.

In 2025, SCREENX generated $92 million globally ($35 million in the US), representing 37% year-over-year growth. CJ 4DPLEX invested materially in its Seoul-based VFX business to increase the number of SCREENX titles produced annually and expand the number of minutes per film using the full 270-degree format. The company also completed a comprehensive redesign of the SCREENX technology platform, improving image quality, synchronization, calibration, and operational reliability. This next-generation system has been deployed with key partners including Cinemark's SCREENX locations and all newly built AMC SCREENX auditoriums.

In late 2025, CJ 4DPLEX began deploying dedicated SCREENX cameras on film productions for the first time outside South Korea, capturing multiple angles to create native 270-degree content for upcoming blockbusters. The company is also exploring giving the SCREENX treatment to classic catalog titles from the US, UK, Korea, Japan, India, and the Middle East to introduce new audiences to the format.

Major Exhibitor Partnerships

CJ 4DPLEX's growth strategy relies on partnerships with the world's largest exhibitor chains. Key deals include:

• AMC Entertainment (2025): 65 new locations (40 4DX, 25 SCREENX) across AMC and ODEON venues in the US and Europe, marking the first global partnership between the two companies and the first 4DX deployment in AMC US locations. Rollout began summer 2025 with completion expected by 2027.

• Cinepolis (2025): 50 theaters total (30 new SCREENX locations plus 20 existing 4DX upgrades) across Mexico, Central and South America, and Spain. Cinepolis already operated 55 4DX theaters including the only Ultra 4DX theater in the Americas. This deal brought the global CJ 4DPLEX total to approximately 1,300 locations.

• Cinemark (2025): 20 new SCREENX locations across the US and Latin America, raising Cinemark's total SCREENX count to 26. This expansion introduced SCREENX to Cinemark's Latin American patrons for the first time.

These partnerships give CJ 4DPLEX distribution scale across the three largest exhibitor chains in the world (AMC, Regal Global Entertainment, and Cinemark) plus the third-largest (Cinepolis), creating a global premium format network that filmmakers and distributors can access for major releases.

What Filmmakers Should Know

CJ 4DPLEX is not a film distributor. It is a technology company that licenses premium formats to exhibitors. However, the company's formats directly affect distribution strategy and box office performance. Films released in 4DX or SCREENX generate premium ticket prices (typically $5 to $10 above standard admission) and can significantly boost opening weekend grosses.

For filmmakers shooting action, sci-fi, adventure, or visually ambitious films, planning for 4DX and SCREENX during production can enhance the premium format experience. CJ 4DPLEX's editors program effects based on the finished film, but native SCREENX footage (shot with dedicated SCREENX cameras) produces the most immersive 270-degree results. The company's expansion into on-set SCREENX camera deployment in late 2025 creates opportunities for filmmakers to collaborate on premium format content during production rather than in post.

Distributors should consider 4DX and SCREENX screen availability when planning release strategies. With 1,245 locations across 80 countries, these formats provide a meaningful revenue uplift for wide releases. In 2025, 4DX alone generated $370 million globally from fewer than 800 screens, demonstrating the per-screen revenue density of premium formats. For films with strong action or visual components, securing 4DX and SCREENX screens for opening weekend can add 5 to 15% to opening weekend grosses depending on the title and screen count.

The company's 2025 box office performance was driven by major studio releases including Avatar: Fire and Ash, F1: The Movie, Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Independent and arthouse films typically do not receive 4DX or SCREENX treatment, as the format economics favor high-volume blockbuster releases where premium ticket prices and large screen counts justify the programming investment.

See Also

For CJ ENM, the separate film production and distribution arm of the CJ Group, see CJ ENM (CJ Entertainment) in this directory. For exhibitor partners that deploy 4DX and SCREENX, see Cineplex Entertainment and Regal Global Entertainment in this directory. To model the box office impact of premium format screenings on a theatrical release, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.