Avatar 2 is currently playing in the premium ICE (Immersive Cinema Experience) theaters that PVR Cinemas announced would debut in the NCR on Friday. There are two of them; one can be found in PVR Ambience Mall in Gurugram, while the other is located in Promenade Mall in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.
For an immersive 270-degree viewing experience, ICE technology has five LED displays bordering either side of the theatre. However, the extra panels only serve to create the illusion of a broader screen by carrying colours and forms from the primary screen to the additional panels, which don’t really show the movie.
According to Renaud Palliere, CEO of The Luxury Collections at PVR Cinemas, ICE technology is to vision what Dolby Atmos is to hearing. Dolby Atmos is a surround sound system that enhances current surround sound systems by including additional height channels to deliver a more immersive audio experience.
4K laser projection and 3D Dolby Atmos technology, in addition to specially built 60 cm-wide seats that let spectators relax into comfort while watching the movie, further improve the theatre experience.
Palliere also revealed that PVR intends to extend the ICE theatres’ reach to Pune during the next six months and Juhu, Mumbai around March 2023. Bangalore is also a possibility. If the response is “excellent,” he continued, the presence can be increased to cover tier 2 cities as well. He claims that the partnership between PVR and ICE Theratres is working toward the deployment of 20 such halls over the course of the following five years.
Speaking about the ticket pricing, Palliere said they aimed to keep them only 20% more than customary in order to maintain them competitive with other PLF (premium large format) type auditoriums.
Palliere added that there will be a focus on exhibiting Indian films at the ICE Theatres in addition to Hollywood and English-language productions. Circus, the upcoming movie by Rohit Shetty, as well as Pathan, which debuts in January, will be shown in ICE Theaters when they open later this month.
Renaud Palliere, who described the technology, claimed that ICE theatres provide an experience that cannot be duplicated at home. Through side panels, which produce backdrop images that sync with the movie and enhance rather than detract from it, the theatres’ empty walls are brought to life.
