(TMU) – A cinema company in France has released concept images of its theaters, and many internet users are saying that the science-fiction-like design looks like something from “a long time ago and a galaxy far, far away.”
For years, companies have been seeking to outdo one another in rolling out new advancements – ranging from IMAX, D-Box, 4DX, and Luxe screens – in a bid to lure audiences away from their large 4K screens and streaming services and get them to plunk out cash to experience new films in luxurious, comfortable, and exciting ways.
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“Whereas all the cinemas built for more than 50 years now are similar and reproduce the same seating arrangement of the audience, this concept of a movie theatre creates a cinematographic experience at the same time intimate,” cinema architecht and Oma founder and CEO Pierre Chican wrote on the company’s website.
“[It will be] spectacular and immersive, where every seat in the house is the best seat in the house,” he added
In concept art released by the company, Oma Cinema has done away with traditional aisles and replaced them with circular pods filled with small clusters of seats.
As social media users have been quick to point out, the resemblance between the new theaters and the pre-Imperial legislative chamber from George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels is uncanny.
“I would very much like to watch the next Fast & Furious movie at the Galactic Senate,” one Twitter user wrote.
While a third user tweeted: “We are living a prequel to the Star Wars prequels. The pandemic will lead to the creation of the galactic senate apparently?”
However, Oma Cinema’s concept is likely to be far more interesting than the stodgy and staid affairs of the unicameral Galactic Senate. When it finally opens up next year, it will offer “VIP-Corporate hospitality boxes, table service on all or selected platforms and exclusive VIP access to lounge and bar.”
The company explains: “Much more than just the spectacular nature of the architecture, the original configuration of the room has been designed to offer viewers an exceptional audio and visual experience, projecting an image free of any distortion. Oma is an experience that you will never forget.”
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many industries across the world to either reinvent themselves or simply make bold moves to adapt to the drastically changed world of 2020.
And for movie theater chains across the globe, the changes wrought by the public health emergency have created shockwaves. Countless theaters have been forced to shutdown, leading to the revival of socially-distanced alternatives like drive-in theaters.
Studios have also been forced to indefinitely delay or reevaluate the theatrical release of such such highly-anticipated films as Mulan, Tenet, Wonder Woman 1984, and James Bond’s No Time to Die. Some studios are simply choosing to release films through streaming platforms rather than on the silver screen.
However, Oma Cinema’s new concept could be a brilliant way to reopen theaters while still upholding physical distancing guidelines meant to keep the COVID-19 pandemic in check.
