Franchise paves way for cinema technology

Few film franchises have witnessed the unprecedented expansion of China's film market like Avatar has.

In January 2010, when the first Avatar was released, the Chinese mainland had just over 4,700 screens in 1,680 cinemas. Among these, a mere 14 were IMAX screens — the giant format widely regarded as the ideal way to experience the stunning landscapes of Avatar's alien world, Pandora. Now, 15 years later, the country boasts more than 92,550 screens, including nearly 800 IMAX, in over 15,430 cinemas, more than anywhere else in the world.

For those who remember queuing for hours on a chilly winter morning to purchase a single IMAX 3D ticket for Avatar, the options today have vastly improved. China's moviegoers can now choose from a variety of premium formats, ranging from CINITY and IMAX to Dolby, to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, the latest and third installment of the iconic franchise.

As of Monday, the 198-minute-long film has grossed over 700 million yuan ($99.8 million), consistently topping China's singleday box office charts since its premiere on Dec 19.

What makes Chinese fans most proud is that domestic technology now plays a pivotal role in the ideal visual impact when screening the new Avatar film. CINITY, an advanced screening system independently developed by the Beijing-based China Film CINITY Co, was the chosen format for the Chinese premiere of Avatar: Fire and Ash in Sanya, Hainan province, earlier this month.

The film is the first Hollywood movie screened in China in CINITY's exclusive format: LED, 3D, 4K, and 48 frames per second, which is higher than the standard 24 frames used in most cinemas. In short, these features make the experience fully immersive, making audiences feel as if they are part of the film's world.