Cineplexx expands in former Yugoslavia

Cineplexx International GmbH, a part of the Constantin Film Group and Serbia’s MegaCom Film (MCF), with Croatia’s Continental Film as a minor shareholder, has acquired two multiplex cinemas in Belgrade and Podgorica (Montenegro) from Greece’s Audiovisual Group.

This marks an expansion of Cineplexx in the region of the former Yugoslavia which started in April 2011 with opening of two multiplex cinemas in Croatian cities of Osijek and Split, in partnership with Continental Film.

In Belgrade and Podgorica, Cineplexx (the joint venture is called Cineplexx Serbia and Cineplexx Montenegro in respective territories) have taken over Ster Cinemas from Athens-based Audiovisual Group. The multiplexes have six screens and about 1,100 seats each and will be refurbished and outfitted with full digital equipment, including Real D 3D in 50% of the screens. The Podgorica venue is scheduled to open on Nov 10, the only multiplex theatre in Montenegro which, not including the multiplex, has a total of eight screens. The Belgrade theatre will open on Dec 8.

Furthermore, in February or March 2012, Cineplexx Serbia will open another six-screen, 1,200-seat theatre in the Serbian city of Kragujevac with population of about 200,000. Kragujevac has not had a single screen for the past six years.

In the same period, Cineplexx and Continental Film will open a multiplex with seven screens and 1,300 seats in Zagreb.

In total, Cineplexx will have seven theatres with 44 screens and about 8,500 seats in the region, including a venue in Italy’s Bozen.