4D film is a presentation system combining motion pictures with synchronized physical effects that occur in the theater. Effects simulated in 4D films include motion, vibration, scent, rain, mist, bubbles, fog, smoke, wind, temperature changes, and strobe lights.[1][2] Seats in 4D venues vibrate and move.
As of 2022, 4D films have been exhibited in more than 65 countries.[3] 4D motion pictures are also exhibited in theme parks.[4]
History
The term "4D film" is an extension of 3D film, which gives the illusion of three-dimensional solidity.[5] Precursors of the modern 4D film presentation include Sensurround, which debuted in 1974 with the film Earthquake. Only a few films were presented in Sensurround, and Dolby Stereo replaced it in 1977, which featured extended bass frequencies and made subwoofers a common addition to cinema.[6] Other notable efforts at pushing the boundaries of the film viewing experience include Fantasound, the first use of stereo sound; Cinemiracle and Cinerama, both widescreen formats utilizing multiple projectors; and Smell-O-Vision.
The Sensorium is regarded as the world's first commercial 4D film and was first screened in 1984 at Six Flags Power Plant in Baltimore. It was produced in partnership with Landmark Entertainment.[7]
4DX, D-Box Technologies, and Mediamation all currently integrate 4D technology in global stadium seating multiplexes.[8]
List of 4D presentation systems for film theaters
The following is a list of 4D presentation systems developed for traditional film theaters.
| Format | Date | Developer | 3D format | Motion seat | Effects | Remarks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4DX | CJ 4D Plex | Stereoscopic 3D | yes | motion, vibration, scent/olfactory, water sprays, wind/air, snow, fog, strobes, lightning, bubbles | Cineworld, Regal Cinemas, Event Cinemas | ||
| D-Box | D-Box Technologies | Stereoscopic 3D | yes | motion, vibration | Cinemark Theatres, Hoyts Cinemas | ||
| MX4D[9] | MediaMation | Stereoscopic 3D | yes | motion, vibration, scent/olfactory, water sprays, wind/air, snow, fog, strobes, lightning, bubbles | Paramount Skydance, Showcase | ||
| 4D E-Motion | Lumma | Stereoscopic 3D | yes | motion, vibration, scent/olfactory, water sprays, wind/air, snow, fog, strobes, lightning, bubbles | |||
| (Not named by developer) | Red Rover | Stereoscopic 3D | yes | motion, water sprays, wind/air, scent/olfactory, fog, strobes, bubbles, | Branded as Super 4D in Lotte Cinema installations. |
Selected filmography
| scope="col" style="width: 150px;|Title | Year | Release venue/Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sensorium | 1984 | Six Flags Power Plant, Baltimore, MD | The very first 4D film. |
| Captain EO | 1986 | Epcot, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland | Closed in the mid-late 1990s and reopened in 2010 as a tribute to the late Michael Jackson. |
| Muppet*Vision 3D | 1991 | Disney's Hollywood Studios | Directed by Jim Henson. |
| Honey, I Shrunk the Audience | 1994 | Epcot, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland | Sponsored by Kodak, closed in all locations in May 2010, and was replaced with Captain EO. |
| Terminator 2 3D: Battle Across Time | 1996 | Universal Studios Japan | Directed by James Cameron |
| Pirates 4D | 1997 | SeaWorld Ohio, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Thorpe Park in the UK, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Produced by Busch Entertainment, Directed by Keith Melton. |
| PandaDroom | 2002 | The Efteling, Netherlands | Same film released in other parks without 4D effects |
| SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D | 2003 | Six Flags over Texas, Moody Gardens, Shedd Aquarium, Adventure Dome, Six Flags Great Adventure, Movie Park Germany, Adventure Aquarium, Kings Dominion, (formerly at Paramount Parks), Indianapolis Zoo, Carowinds, Camden Aquarium (Camden, NJ), Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo and other locations | |
| Mickey's PhilharMagic | 2003 | Magic Kingdom, Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disney California Adventure. | In collaboration with Walt Disney Animation Studios. |
| Haunted Lighthouse[a] | 2003 | Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo | |
| Shrek 4-D | 2003 | Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Singapore | Released in an anaglyph version as Shrek 3-D on DVD |
| Borg Invasion | 2004 | Star Trek: The Experience, at Las Vegas Hilton, US | Closed in 2008, to be reopened in Neonopolis, Las Vegas |
| Fly Me to the Moon | 2008 | Six Flags over Texas | |
| Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D Adventure | 2008 | Vibrant 5D, Raipur, India | Stone Mountain Park, Dollywood, Warner Bros. Movie World |
| Fly High: The Legend of Black Man | 2017 | India | First Indian 4D film; directed by Rahul Rathish Kumar |
| Avatar 4D | 2009 | South Korea, Hong Kong | In 4DX. James Cameron, Director |
| London Eye 4D Experience | 2009 | London Eye | Produced by Centre Screen Productions and Principal Large Format |
| Beyond All Boundaries | 2009 | WWII Museum, New Orleans | Produced by Tom Hanks |
| ENERGIA The Spirit of the Earth | 2009 | Cité de l'énergie, Shawinigan (Quebec) | Spectators are seated on a revolving platform. Features wind, snow, smoke, rain, vibration, and lighting effects. |
| "The Garden" | 2010 | USA pavilion at Expo 2010 | The eight-minute film was projected upon five 10-meter-high screens. |
| Marvel Super Heroes 4D | 2010 | Madame Tussauds London, Trans Studio Bandung[10] | |
| Rabid Rider | 2010 | Cincinnati Zoo | |
| Shalem | 2011 | Jerusalem Time Elevator, Jerusalem | A 3000-year-old guide to Jerusalem's history at the Jerusalem Time Elevator, Jerusalem.[11] |
| The Bourne Legacy | 2012 | Multinational | In 4DX |
| Tallgrass Prairie: Tides of Time | 2012 | Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan, Kansas | Features wind, snow, smoke, and lightning effects[12] |
| Prometheus | 2012 | Cinepolis Galerias Guadalajara, Mexico | In 4DX. Ridley Scott, Director |
| Titanic | 2012 | Multinational | 4DX re-release,[13] James Cameron, Director |
| The Adventures of Tintin | 2011 | Nickelodeon Resorts, Paramount Parks, North Carolina Zoo, and Alton Towers | 14-minute condensed version of the film. |
| Iron Man 3 | 2013 | Korona World Theatre Nagoya, Japan,[14] Seoul, South Korea | Labeled as 4DX featuring strobe lights, tilting seats, blowing wind, fog, and odor effects. |
| 47 Ronin | 2014 | Multinational | In 4DX |
| Fury | 2014 | Multinational | In 4DX |
| Interstellar | 2014 | Multinational | In 4DX. Christopher Nolan, Director |
| Rio | 2014 | San Diego Zoo, Kentucky Kingdom, North Carolina Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo | 12-minute condensed version of the film. |
| Temple Run 7D | 2014 | India | 9-minute ride to various Indian temples, including Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Rameshwaram, and Dwarka, produced by Modern Techno Projects Private Ltd. |
| Happy Feet | Multinational | [15] | |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2015 | Multinational | In 4DX. J.J. Abrams, Director |
| Ice Age: No Time for Nuts 4D | 2015 | United States | 4D-remastered version of the 2006 short film of the same name. |
| Rogue One | 2016 | Multinational | In 4DX |
| Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | 2016 | Seoul, Korea and New York City, New York | Labeled as 4DX including fog, wind, motion, rain, lightning, vibrations and scents. |
| Pixels | 2016 | Taguig, Philippines | 4DX re-release including models, sprites, explosives, and bullets. |
| Mass Effect: New Earth 4D | 2016 | California's Great America | 4 1⁄2-minute film, 60-foot screen with 4K HDR resolution, live performers, wind, water, leg pokers, neck ticklers, 80-channel surround sound. |
| LEGO Nexo Knights 4D: The Book of Creativity[16] | 2016 | Legoland parks and Legoland Discovery Centre parks worldwide | 12 1⁄2-minute 4D film of LEGO Nexo Knights shown at Legoland, along with The LEGO Movie 4D Produced by Alexander Lentjes[17] for M2Film and Merlin Entertainments |
| Gravity | 2018 | Multinational | 4DX re-release,[18] Alfonso Cuarón, Director |
| Life of Pi | 2018 | Multinational | 4DX re-release,[19] Ang Lee, Director |
| 1917 | 2019 | Multinational | In 4DX,[20] Sam Mendes, Director, Produced by Amblin Partners |
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 2019 | Multinational | In 4DX. J.J. Abrams, Director |
| Gemini Man | 2019 | Multinational | In 4DX. Ang Lee, Director |
| The Lion King | 2019 | Multinational | In 4DX. Jon Favreau, Director |
| Inception | 2020 | Multinational | 4DX re-release,[21] Christopher Nolan, Director |
| The Matrix Resurrections | 2021 | Multinational | In 4DX. Lana Wachowski, Director |
| Top Gun: Maverick | 2022 | Multinational | In 4DX. Directed by Joseph Kosinski. |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Multinational | In 4DX. Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic Directors |
| Tom and Jerry | 2022 | Multinational | [22] |
| Scoob! | 2023 | Multinational | [23] |
| DC League of Super-Pets | 2023 | Multinational | [24] |
| Scrooge: A Christmas Carol | 2023 | Multinational | [25] |
| Oppenheimer | 2023 | Multinational | In 4DX. Christopher Nolan, Director[26] |
| Postcard from Earth | 2023 | Sphere at the Venetian Resort, Las Vegas | Effects include wind, scents, and infrasound seat vibrations. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.[27] |
| Godzilla Minus One | 2023 | Japan | In 4DX. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki[28] |
| The Wizard of Oz at Sphere | 2025 | Sphere at the Venetian Resort, Las Vegas | Special effects include wind, scents, and infrasound seat vibrations. Directed by Victor Fleming. Immersive version of the 1939 film.[29] |
See also
Notes
- ^ Also known as R. L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse 4-D)
References
- ^ Archived atGhostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "4DX Cinemas Next Generation - Motion Seats, Wind, Fog, Lighting, Bubbles, Water & Scents". YouTube
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Smelly Screens & Moving Seats At The UK's First 4DX Cinema | Swipe". YouTube
- ^ "4DX Continues to Dominate The 4D Marketplace by Inking Deal with Cineplex Germany". DCinemaToday. 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10: The World's Best Theme Park Movie Attractions". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "Watch: First 4D Theater Opens in the U.S.". Time. June 24, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ Hauersley, Thomas (May 25, 2011). "…in Sensurround". In 70mm. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
- ^ Zone, Ray (2012). 3-D Revolution: The History of Modern Stereoscopic Cinema. The University Press of Kentucky. pp. 143–155. ISBN 978-0-8131-3611-0. Archived from the original on 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
- ^ Maddox, Gary (October 7, 2011). "Cinema with a new dimension". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
- ^ "Showcase Cinemas". National Amusements, Inc. 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ "Superheroes 4D: Trans Studio, Badung, Indonesia". Simworx. 2014-01-09. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- ^ Jerusalem Time Elevator Tickets GoJerusalem.com
- ^ "Immersive Experience Theater". Archived from the original on 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
- ^ "Titanic to be Re-released in 4DX". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ Marah Eakin (18 April 2013), "Iron Man 3 getting sniff-worthy 4D screenings in Japan", Onion Inc., retrieved 28 February 2014
- ^ https://www.visitsealife.com/melbourne/whats-inside/exhibits/ice-age-4d-cinema/
- ^ "LEGO Nexo Knights 4D: The Book of Creativity". Internet Movie Database. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ "Alexander Lentjes". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ "(4DX 3D) Gravity | Book tickets at Cineworld Cinemas", retrieved 2022-03-27
- ^ "(4DX 3D) Life Of Pi | Book tickets at Cineworld Cinemas", retrieved 2022-03-27
- ^ Nguyen, Jacob (2020-01-10). "Review: 4DX theater puts you inside the movie at Regal Atlantic Station". Reporter Newspapers & Atlanta Intown. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "Inception in 4DX at Cineworld | Cineworld cinemas". www.cineworld.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ https://www.movieparkgermany.de/en/erlebnisse/attraktionen/roxy-4d
- ^ https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/scoob-4d-experience
- ^ https://scmuseum.org/explore/4d-theater/dc-league-super-pets-4d-experience
- ^ https://www.simex-iwerks.com/film-portfolio/scrooge-4d-a-christmas-carol
- ^ Nolan, Christopher (2023-07-21), "Oppenheimer" (Biography, Drama, History), Atlas Entertainment, Syncopy, Universal Pictures, retrieved 2022-03-27
- ^ "‘Postcard From Earth’: Darren Aronofsky’s 18K Film Rocks The Sphere". Rolling Stone. October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ "邦画初！プレミアムラージフォーマット「ScreenX」での上" (in Japanese). Godzilla Minus One. October 16, 2023. Archived October 16, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ "Inside Opening Night of ‘Wizard of Oz’ at the Sphere: “We’re Finally Off to See the Wizard”". The Hollywood Reporter. August 29, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.