Cinema's Next Evolution: RealD 3D and SCREENX Join Forces

LOUISVILLE, Colo. and BURBANK, Calif. – December 11, 2025 – In a move poised to redefine the premium theatrical experience, 3D technology leader RealD and panoramic format innovator CJ 4DPLEX have announced a strategic partnership to integrate their flagship technologies. The collaboration will bring RealD's crisp 3D visuals to SCREENX’s immersive 270-degree auditoriums, creating a hybrid format designed to surround audiences like never before. Kicking off the initiative, Regal Cinemas has committed to upgrading 52 of its SCREENX locations in time for the highly anticipated holiday release of James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash.

This alliance represents a high-stakes bet on the future of moviegoing, combining two distinct premium technologies into a singular, spectacular offering. As the cinema industry continues to compete with the convenience of high-end home entertainment, the strategy is clear: create an unmissable event that simply cannot be replicated on a living room television. The fusion of panoramic visuals with stereoscopic depth aims to be that very event, marking a new front in the ongoing battle for theatrical dominance.

A New Dimension in Theatrical Immersion

The core promise of the partnership is a synergistic leap in immersion. SCREENX, developed by South Korea's CJ 4DPLEX, already breaks the confines of the traditional screen by extending specially created footage onto the auditorium's side walls. This creates a 270-degree panoramic vista during key sequences, wrapping the viewer in the film's environment. Now, with the integration of RealD 3D, that entire panoramic image will be rendered with stereoscopic depth.

“Integrating RealD 3D into SCREENX creates something truly extraordinary – an immersive, premium format that expands both the world of the film and the imagination of the audience,” said Elizabeth Frank, CEO of RealD, in the official announcement. The goal is to move beyond a simple gimmick and offer a genuinely enhanced narrative experience.

For CJ 4DPLEX, this move deepens the impact of their signature format. “This partnership with RealD promises to take that vision even further,” added Don Savant, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX America. “By merging SCREENX panoramic visuals with RealD's brilliant 3D technology, we're redefining what immersion means in the cinema.” The combined effect aims to create a powerful sense of presence, placing the audience directly inside the action, whether flying through the landscapes of Pandora or navigating a chaotic battle.

The Business of the Big Screen

The strategic and financial implications of this partnership are as significant as the technology itself. The timing is no coincidence. Launching with Avatar: Fire and Ash is a masterstroke, leveraging a franchise synonymous with technological breakthroughs. The original Avatar was instrumental in popularizing the modern 3D format, and its sequel solidified the public’s appetite for premium visual experiences. This third installment is poised to serve as the ultimate proof-of-concept for the new RealD 3D + SCREENX format.

Regal Cinemas’ commitment to upgrade 52 locations represents a substantial capital investment, signaling strong confidence from one of the nation's largest exhibitors. “We are excited to take our successful SCREENX auditoriums to the next level and offer Regal movie fans an experience incomparable with any home entertainment,” commented Eduardo Acuna, CEO of Regal Cinemas. This investment is a calculated risk, banking on the idea that a unique, top-tier format will drive both higher attendance and justify premium ticket prices.

This new offering enters a fiercely competitive Premium Large Format (PLF) market dominated by established giants like IMAX and Dolby Cinema. IMAX has built its brand on colossal screens and proprietary high-resolution projection, often paired with its own 3D system. Dolby Cinema, meanwhile, competes on the fronts of superior image quality with its Dolby Vision high-dynamic-range technology and immersive sound via Dolby Atmos. The RealD 3D + SCREENX format carves out a unique niche, betting that its expansive, 270-degree field of 3D vision will offer a qualitatively different kind of immersion that its rivals cannot match.

Engineering the Unprecedented

Marrying these two advanced systems is a formidable engineering challenge. RealD 3D relies on a complex system involving a ZScreen modulator, circularly polarized light, and a highly reflective silver screen to deliver a bright, ghost-free image. SCREENX uses a synchronized multi-projector system to blend images seamlessly across the main screen and specially treated side walls. Combining them requires a new level of precision.

The primary technical hurdle is maintaining a consistent and comfortable 3D effect across three separate surfaces with different properties. The system must perfectly synchronize the left-eye and right-eye frames from multiple projectors, all flashing at 144 frames per second, to prevent strobing or visual artifacts across the panoramic canvas. Furthermore, 3D projection inherently results in significant light loss. Projecting onto side walls, which are typically less reflective than a primary silver screen, could compound this issue. To combat this, exhibitors will likely need to deploy state-of-the-art laser projectors, such as those included in CJ 4DPLEX's existing partnership with Barco, to ensure the entire 270-degree image is bright, vibrant, and uniformly lit.

A Broader Canvas for Blockbusters

Beyond the technical execution and business strategy lies the ultimate question: what does this mean for the art of filmmaking? The partnership offers directors and cinematographers an exponentially larger and more dimensional canvas, but with it comes a new set of creative rules and challenges. The peripheral 3D space can be used to subtly extend the environment, enhancing atmosphere without pulling focus from the main action. Alternatively, it can be used for dramatic effect, with elements flying past the audience's peripheral vision to heighten a sense of speed or chaos.

The key will be artistic restraint and intentionality. If used carelessly, the expansive 3D visuals could become distracting or disorienting. However, in the hands of a visionary like James Cameron, the technology has the potential to become a powerful storytelling tool. His pioneering work has always treated 3D not as a post-production flourish but as an integral part of the cinematic language. His involvement with the launch of this format suggests that Avatar: Fire and Ash will be meticulously crafted to exploit its unique capabilities, likely setting the creative benchmark for future productions.

Ultimately, this bold fusion of technologies is the theatrical industry’s latest and most ambitious declaration that the magic of the movies is best experienced on the biggest, most immersive canvas possible. By pushing the boundaries of what is visually achievable, RealD, CJ 4DPLEX, and Regal are betting that audiences will agree that some spectacles are still worth leaving the house for.