It seems that after years of trying to make a splash the 4DX movie format is finally having an impact. According to a Yelp trend tracker searches for “4DX movie theaters” rose by 944% in August 2024 compared to the same month in 2023.
4DX is the movie format that involves your seat throwing you around in sync with high-octane on-screen action. It also pummels your back, splashes you with water, and blasts jets of air around your head while lights flash—all in the name of a good time. The presentation is sometimes in 3D as well, though in the case of Twisters, it was 2D only—still more than enough.
No, 4DX is not designed for cerebral cinema, but as I observed in my review, it’s the perfect accompaniment for the weather-based blockbuster mayhem that is Twisters, However, due to the juggernaut that was Deadpool vs Wolverine, the film was only available in 4DX format for a short time, but fortunately, someone was reading my review and has listened to my suggestion to bring it back so more people can experience it (OK, I’m sure the box office returns had something to do with it too).
In the UK the film is returning to 4DX screens from September 20th, closely followed by a 4DX Rewind season running between September 23rd to the 29th, which will also include a 4DX upgrade of the original 1996 film, Twister.
Along with these double twisters, a range of films will come back as part of the 4DX Rewind season:
· Despicable Me 4
· A Quiet Place: Day One
· Top Gun: Maverick
· Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
· Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
· and even the original 1993 Jurassic Park movie
In the US, 4DX is run by Regal, (also owned by Cineworld) and, as of writing, Twisters is still being shown, but sadly there’s no sign of a similar equivalent rewind season.
All 36 4DX screens in the UK and Ireland are run by Cineworld so the format hitting a run of form is a rainbow of good news appearing out of the clouds for the much-beleaguered chain. After falling out of the FTSE 100 and emerging from bankruptcy the chain is restructuring. At the same time, it’s having to weather the possibility of its former owners coming back into the market by taking over struggling locations. Like Twisters then, it never rains but it pours.
