This is a list of Canadian movie theatres operated by Cineplex Entertainment under its numerous brands, including Galaxy, Cineplex Odeon, SilverCity, Cinema City, Famous Players, Coliseum, Colossus, Scotiabank Theatre, Cineplex Cinemas, Cineplex Junxion and Cineplex VIP Cinemas.

Cineplex, however, has discontinued the Coliseum and Colossus banners, created by Famous Players in the late 1990s, replacing them with the Cineplex Cinemas (French: Cinémas Cineplex) banner, but the unique architectural features of these theatres have been preserved. As a result, theatres built in this fashion will feature the name of their former banner in the "Format" column of this list.

Banners

Cineplex Cinemas and Galaxy Cinemas

Cineplex Cinemas (French: Cinémas Cineplex) is the company's most widespread banner, with 102 locations as of June 2015. Although 42 of these locations carry the older Cineplex Odeon banner, the concept is the same. The newest locations feature a wide variety of movies and a variety of branded concessions. Locations range from small mall multiplexes to large, ultra-modern locations. Most locations are designated in larger populated cities.

Galaxy Cinemas is the predominant brand in mid-sized markets where there has historically been little or no competition, even prior to the Cineplex-Famous Players merger. There are 30 Galaxy locations as of 2019, all of which have been built since the mid-1990s, although some were renovated from (or replaced) smaller Cineplex Odeon or Famous Players locations. These locations feature six to twelve screens, branded concessions, and stadium-style seating, with a few locations offering UltraAVX and the Waterloo location offering a separate D-Box theatre. The Galaxy Saskatoon theatre built in 2006 was rebranded as Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon and VIP, while former Galaxy locations in Sherwood Park and Regina were rebranded as Cineplex Cinemas in 2015.

Cineplex VIP Cinemas

Cineplex Cinemas Lansdowne & VIP in Ottawa features four VIP theatres and one UltraAVX premium large format theatre on the third floor.

Cineplex currently has 24 Cineplex VIP Cinemas; Cineplex debuted this purpose-built concept around 1998 at Cineplex Odeon Varsity & VIP in Toronto, Ontario. VIP Cinemas are enclosed spaces separate from the rest of the theatre, but implementation varies per theatre. For example, Lansdowne is a condensed location in Ottawa that has a VIP ticket booth on the first floor and four VIP screens on one section of the third floor. The Queensway location at Etobicoke, on the other hand, has a separate building and entrance for its VIP cinemas and lounge. Cineplex VIP Don Mills is first VIP-only location. It features five screens, three of which are 3D-capable.[1]

The VIP area has a stylized entrance, licensed lounge, and bar with alcohol available to be served, alternative and traditional concessions food/drink products available in the lounge space, at a concession stand, and through in-theatre service. Due to the service of alcoholic beverages to guests, these spaces are only for guests who are 19+ (18+ in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec). Inside each auditorium, there is reserved luxury seating complete (in most locations) with wide, leather, recliner-style seats and swing-out tray tables. The movie selection is also adapted to this demographic, with a higher proportion of titles rated 14A and 18A, and such movies can even be exclusive to VIPs within locations that play them. For example, the screenings for No Escape and Straight Outta Compton at the Lansdowne location are exclusive to VIP.[2]

Scotiabank Theatre

Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Ten Cineplex complexes use the Scotiabank Theatre (Cinémas Banque Scotia in Quebec) branding; the banner is part of a naming rights agreement with Scotiabank established in 2007, which also saw the companies launch the Scene loyalty program. The brand initially launched in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, replacing the Paramount Theatres brand previously used by Famous Players.[3][4]

These are treated as flagship theatres for their area/region and represent a premium corporate brand within the company, offering corporate and group events to wealthier/privileged clientele such as stockholders and company executives. Each location offers pizza, coffee, TimePlay, and one to four premium large format screens featuring IMAX (except for Vancouver) and one or two UltraAVX screens (except for Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Atlantic locations). All locations feature D-Box motion picture technology in a regular (Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Atlantic locations) or UltraAVX (others) theatre. The Scotiabank Theatre locations in Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver added Barco Escape premium large-format theatres in July 2016.[5]

Legacy banners

Famous Players

Famous Players Pickering, now known as Cineplex Cinemas Pickering and VIP

The traditional Famous Players brand encompasses a number of different banners and theatre designs, many of which were developed during the chain's suburban expansion, such as power centres in the late 1990s. There are four Famous Players theatres as of 2022, with three to ten screens and traditional concessions at each location, located in Prince George, Prince Rupert, and LaSalle. Each theatre has two to four RealD 3D digital screens. One location, Famous Players Kildonan Place Cinemas, was converted to Famous Players Cineplex Cinemas in 2021.[6]

Cineplex announced the closure of three Famous Players locations from 2018 to 2022:

  • Famous Players Pickering was replaced with Cineplex Cinemas Pickering and VIP on July 6, 2018.[7]
  • Famous Players Canada Square opened as Cineplex Odeon Canada Square on December 20, 1985. In 2001, this location was acquired by Famous Players, and upon being reacquired by Cineplex in 2005, it retained the Famous Players branding. Its last day of operation was on October 24, 2021. The adjacent Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Eglinton and VIP, formerly SilverCity, continue to operate.
  • Famous Players Kildonan Place Cinemas was scheduled to be replaced by a new Cineplex concept, a Junxion theatre and entertainment complex, in 2021.[8]

SilverCity and StarCité

SilverCity CrossIron Mills, the most recent SilverCity built by Cineplex, opened in 2010.

The group runs 12 SilverCity cinemas outside of Quebec, plus two StarCité locations in the Gatineau and Montreal cities of Quebec. The first SilverCity opened in St. Catharines on November 7, 1997, and the first StarCité opened in Gatineau in December 1999. Both brands combined peaked at 29 locations as of spring 2001. Cineplex acquired these in 2005, but divested five SilverCity and two StarCité in 2006 to fulfill regulatory requirements, only to later reacquire the previously divested Empress Walk and Gatineau locations. The company also opened three new SilverCity locations, the last being CrossIron Mills on June 30, 2010.

Each of the remaining locations features 7 to 19 screens, typically 12, of which one to three (except for Mission and Burlington) consist of premium large format screens such as IMAX or UltraAVX. Three current SilverCity locations, plus StarCité Montréal and many former SilverCity locations, feature an Xscape arcade. SilverCity theatres built by Famous Players have a rectangular design and characters hanging above, while newer SilverCity theatres have a standardized Cineplex Odeon/Galaxy Cinemas design with a red and silver motif.

A total of 32 SilverCity and StarCité locations have been built to date. Of these, more than half were either closed or rebranded. Notably, the St. Catharines location that introduced the brand was sold to Empire Theatres in 2005, while the Mississauga location closed on May 1, 2014.[9] The StarCité at Sainte-Foy, Quebec City opened on April 12, 2000, and closed on February 27, 2007, because the Cineplex Odeon Ste-Foy next door outperformed it.[10] Another three former SilverCity locations now carry the Scotiabank Theatre brand: the West Edmonton Mall location was rebranded on May 2, 2007,[11] while Ottawa and the Polo Park location in Winnipeg were rebranded in June 2016.[12]

Coliseum

Cineplex Cinemas Ottawa, formerly branded as Coliseum, features a round façade.

Five larger suburban theatres were originally built by Famous Players under the Coliseum (French: Colisée) banner, and are notable for their round façade. They were the first round theatres in the world with their wedge-shaped auditoriums, located on two levels, fan out from their entrances, located off the main lobby area. In the lobby, hangs several figures with costumes, objects, and characters from popular movies on display, and bright neon lights (since removed). The first location was opened in Mississauga on May 16, 1997.[13] The second location opened in Calgary on November 27, 1998. The Ottawa, Scarborough, and Kirkland locations were opened in parts of 1999. Four of the five Coliseums that were a part of the 2005 acquisition from Cineplex have since been rebranded and renamed to Cineplex Cinemas.

The Ottawa, Scarborough, and Kirkland locations feature 12 screens, of which one is UltraAVX; Scarborough also has a D-Box screen and a second UltraAVX screen among its 12 screens. The Mississauga location has 13 screens with both 70 mm film and digital IMAX technology as well as an AVX screen. The Calgary location only has 10 screens, of which one is The Extra Experience, a competing technology by Landmark comparable to UltraAVX.[14] Scarborough and Ottawa also each feature an Xscape Entertainment Centre, replacing the older TechTown arcades at these locations.

The former Coliseum Shawnessy in Calgary was acquired by Empire Theatres on September 30, 2005. The theatre was renamed to Studio 10 and was completely renovated on the interior. The round façade at Shawnessy remains intact but was repainted grey and white. The theatre was later sold to Landmark Cinemas on October 29, 2013.

The Ottawa and Calgary locations now feature fully reclining leather seats in all of their auditoriums.

Colossus

Cinémas Cineplex Laval, formerly branded as Colossus, features a UFO design in its foyer.
Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan as Colossus

Larger than Coliseum were Famous Players' three Colossus theatres, re-branded to Cineplex Cinemas in 2015. In its design, the top of the buildings has a giant UFO landing site with the flying saucer sitting on top of the foyer and flanked by lights that appear to be afterburners. Passing through the massive main entrance were automatic ticketing machines with an alien figure appearance. These are now replaced by generic Cineplex ticketing machines.

This brand focused on city suburbs and was built to challenge then-competitor AMC Theatres entry into the Canadian market. Each Colossus features 19 screens, or 18 in Laval, using the following technologies: Real D 3D (seven to eight screens), UltraAVX (one or two screens), D-Box (one screen), and IMAX (one screen, excluding Laval). The two theatres excluding Laval have a licensed lounge named "The Pod".

All locations feature an Xscape Entertainment Centre to replace their older TechTown arcades. Colossus debuted on February 12, 1999, in Vaughan, north of Toronto, Ontario. One of its screens was the first IMAX 3D theatre in Ontario.[15] The second location opened in the Langley suburb of Vancouver on May 19, 1999.[16] As of July 20, 2017, both of these locations offer IMAX 70 mm film playback.[14] The final Colossus was opened in the Laval suburb of Montreal on November 17, 2000.

Other

Cinema City, McGillivray in 2011
Former Movies 12 in northeast Edmonton

Cineplex Junxion launched in 2022, with its first location being at Winnipeg's Kildonan Place (replacing a Famous Players at the same site). Junxion features larger amusement and restaurant areas, as well as a space for live entertainment performances.. The Kildonan site has six auditoriums, one of which being an UltraAVX screen.[17]

The Cinema City brand is used at one location in Winnipeg's Garden City area that predominately shows second-run films. The former Cinema City McGillivray in Winnipeg now plays first-run films and was renamed Cineplex Odeon McGillivray and VIP Cinemas in 2012. The Cinema City Movies 12 in Edmonton closed on January 8, 2023, due to age and unpopularity, and the Cineplex Cinemas Manning Town Centre up north outperformed it as well.

Cineplex also owns a minority interest in Alliance Cinemas, in partnership with Alliance Films. At its peak the chain had five locations; three locations have been sold or closed, while the two remaining locations have been up for sale since the summer of 2005.

In February 2013, Cineplex acquired Festival Cinemas, which owned two independent cinemas in Vancouver—Fifth Avenue Cinemas and Park Theatre.[18] In 2015, the Fifth Avenue Cinemas underwent a $2-million renovation influenced by its VIP Cinemas format.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Cineplex VIP Don Mills". Cineplex Entertainment. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Cineplex Cinemas Lansdowne & VIP". Cineplex Entertainment. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Famous Players Paramount Theatres". Famous Players. Archived from the original on April 18, 2001. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Scotiabank to put its name on Cineplex theatres". CBC News. CBC. January 24, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  5. ↑ Van Lange, Sarah (July 7, 2016). "Barco Escape Coming Soon to Three Cineplex Theatres" (PDF). Cineplex. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  6. ↑ McPhee, Tiana (June 18, 2019). "Cineplex Announces New Theatre and Entertainment Complex Coming Soon to Winnipeg" (PDF). Cineplex. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  7. ↑ Van Lange, Sarah (July 6, 2018). "Cineplex Cinemas Pickering and VIP Opens Today!" (PDF). Cineplex. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  8. ↑ Rankin, Katie (November 27, 2019). "Introducing the Cinema of the Future: Cineplex Announces Junxion" (PDF). Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ http://www.cineplex.com/Promos/TheatreClosed
  10. ↑ Martel, Denise (February 27, 2007). "Plus que 65 écrans à Québec" (in French). Canoe. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  11. ↑ Marshall, Pat (May 2, 2007). "Cineplex Entertainment and Scotiabank Launch First National Canadian Entertainment Loyalty Rewards Program and Rename Three Major Cineplex Theatres" (PDF). Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ "SilverCity Polo Park gets rebranded as Scotiabank Theatre Winnipeg". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ Mike Rivest. "Cineplex Cinemas Mississauga". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Experience Dunkirk in Imax 70MM Film and Imax With laser". IMAX. June 27, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  15. ↑ Mike Rivest. "Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  16. ↑ Mike Rivest. "Cineplex Cinemas Langley". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  17. ↑ Toneguzzi, Mario (January 29, 2023). "Cineplex Launches New 'Junxion' Entertainment Concept with Additional Canadian Locations Planned [Interviews]". Retail Insider. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Cineplex buys Vancouver independent theatres". CBC News. Vancouver. February 15, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Fifth Avenue Cinemas gets a $2-million makeover and expansion". The Georgia Straight. October 19, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
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