Hoyts to open biggest cinema screen in the world

Media release

Hoyts To Open World-Leading Cinema Complex In Sylvia Park
Biggest cinema screen in the world

1 February, 2007

New Zealand may soon house the largest 35mm cinema screen in the world when Hoyts opens its groundbreaking, flagship 10-screen cinema complex in Sylvia Park, in Auckland’s Mt Wellington, on March 29.

Hoyts has made an application with the Guinness World RecordsTM to determine whether the largest screen in the $30 million complex, at 30.670 metres-wide and over 13 metres tall, will be the world’s largest.

CEO of Hoyts, Stuart McInnes, says the company is required to supply two independent witness statements and organise professional surveyors to measure the screen before the final application can be made to verify whether it is the largest.

“For Kiwis to boast that we have the largest multiplex screen in the world would be an amazing feat and we’re encouraging New Zealanders to really get in behind our bid and support us in this exciting venture.

“Given there are some 35,000 screens in America alone, so well over 50,000 across the world, we think this will be a great achievement for New Zealand.”

He says the gigantic screen, which took 20 people to install, was made specifically for Hoyts. It requires a projector run by an 8000-watt bulb to project images onto the surface. It will be the largest in New Zealand, beating the 23.5 metre-wide screen at Hoyts’ Riccarton cinema complex in Christchurch.

Mr McInnes says offering film-buffs the ability to view movies on a screen this size reflects the passion Kiwis have for the cinema.

“This has been further enhanced by New Zealand’s huge successes in recent years on the world cinematic stage.”

He says the cutting-edge Sylvia Park complex boasts a number of cinematic firsts for New Zealand, including the giant screen. For example, all cinemas in will have 65 per cent more legroom than the average cinema in New Zealand – and the most of any cinema in Australasia.

“Movie-goers will need to be at least 190cm tall to touch the back of the seat in front of them. People tell us time and time again that comfort is crucial to a positive cinematic experience and we’ve responded to that feedback. The days of tripping over someone’s feet as you find your seat are well and truly over,” he says.

Mr McInnes says the new complex will also house two cinemas designed specifically for screening art-house films.

“There’s no doubt that the new Sylvia Park complex will offer a cinematic experience never before experienced by Kiwis. It signals the long-awaited presence in Auckland of a truly world-class cinema and we’re thrilled to be leading the way,” he says.

Hoyts Sylvia Park cinemas will be housed in the entertainment precinct of Sylvia Park, near a variety of restaurants and bars.

There are over 3,000 car parks available to movie-goers within the Sylvia Park complex.

Ends

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