Cineworld has dropped its plans to bring an Imax cinema to Aberdeen beachfront.
A proposal to add the colossal screen to the Queens Links multiplex was submitted in October 2019, and was met with excitement by the Aberdonian public.
The closest Imax theatre to the city is currently more than 80 miles along the A90, at the Perth Playhouse.
Cinema chiefs said the new screen would be a “particularly important” addition to the “tired and ageing” seafront leisure park.
But after weeks of questions from the Press and Journal, Cineworld has finally confirmed it is no longer pressing ahead with the plans.
What are we missing?
There are currently four Imax cinemas in Scotland; in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Renfrew.
The screens promise brighter, clearer and larger images and crisper, more intense sound to make the cinema experience more thrilling for viewers.
Massive critical and commercial hit Top Gun: Maverick and Toy Story spin-off Lightyear are among the films on offer at the moment.
The Aberdeen Imax would have been able to fit 409 film-goers, and the plans included a new entrance foyer and a Starbucks coffee shop.
An additional 204-seat screen would also have been added to the Queens Links complex, which would be completely rejigged to accommodate a dramatic new layout.
Requiem for a screen
Cineworld was badly damaged by the pandemic, reporting a $3 billion loss in March 2021 after a year of lockdowns meant cinemas were closed, release dates were pushed back, and streaming services became more popular than ever.
However, last autumn the company said its box office revenues had returned to 90% of pre-pandemic levels thanks largely to the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
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The confirmation that the Aberdeen Imax has been scrapped comes a month after it was announced that an Everyman cinema will open at the Bon Accord Centre in 2024.
Our readers had a mixed reaction to the announcement, with some worrying about the impact on other city cinemas and others looking forward to a fancy date night.
Exclusive: Everyman Cinema Aberdeen to open in Bon Accord Centre – and here’s all you need to know
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