Megaplex

A megaplex is a movie theater complex that is far larger than a multiplex. Megaplex theaters generally feature more than 20 screens (some more than 30), with stadium seating and other amenities often not found at smaller movie theaters.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first megaplex in the world is generally considered to be Kinepolis Brussels in Brussels, Belgium, which opened in 1988 with 25 screens. The first megaplex in the United States was AMC Theatres' Grand 24 in Dallas, Texas, which did not open until 1995.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This AMC megaplex sparked a wave of megaplexes across the country, financed in part by private equity money and causing a dramatic shift in the face of cities across America. In each town, a megaplex would often put the town's multiplexes out of business, and were often coupled with other big box stores that were reaching their zenith at the time. This expansion was executed much too quickly, and almost all the major movie theatre companies went bankrupt at this time (although their operations were not much affected),

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Megaplex is also the name of the Microsoft Windows-compatible clone of the MS-DOS computer game Supaplex.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Movie theater: A movie theater (American English) or cinema is a location, usually a building, for viewing movies. Colloquial expressions, mostly used for cinemas collectively, include the silver screen and the big screen (contrasted with the "small screen" of television). Generally, theaters are not owned by in...

Multiplex: Multiplex is either a word derived from multi- + plex (fold) or a synthetic portmanteau combining the words multiple and complex and can be another word for many or (literally) manifold....

Stadium seating: Stadium seating is a technique used in movie theaters to allow more guests to see the movie screen with less blockage than traditional seating. Like seating in a football or baseball stadium, stadium seating in theaters is usually a 30 degree slope stepped upwards from the bottom of the theater, as ...