Pathé Cinémas
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cinema chain |
| Predecessor | EuroPalaces |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Pathé and Gaumont |
| Headquarters | France |
Area served | France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Morocco, Tunisia |
| Owner | Pathé |
| Website | www |
Pathé Cinémas SASU is a cinema network owned by Pathé, with operations spanning France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Morocco, and Tunisia. It holds the leading position in the French, Dutch, and Swiss markets and stands as the second-largest cinema chain across Europe.
History
The entity known as EuroPalaces was established in 2001 through the consolidation of two French film enterprises, Pathé and Gaumont, controlled respectively by Jérôme Seydoux and Nicolas Seydoux. At inception, Gaumont possessed a 34% share while Pathé held 66%. In 2010, the company adopted the name Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé. Subsequently, in 2017, Gaumont divested its 34% stake to Pathé for €380 million to concentrate on content creation and distribution. Following this transaction, the chain was renamed Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont, and ultimately in 2023, it rebranded as Pathé Cinémas, dropping the Gaumont designation.
Growth was driven by multiple acquisitions: MGM Cinemas in 1995; Minerva Cinemas in the Netherlands (2010); CinePointCom in Belgium (2015); EuropaCorp Cinemas (2016); CineAlpes in France (2019); and Euroscoop Cinemas across the Netherlands and Belgium (2019). The majority of these venues have been rebranded under the Pathé banner. In 2021, three CineAlpes sites were sold to CinéWest.
The company withdrew from the Italian market in 2010 due to operational difficulties.
In 2018, Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont expanded into Africa with a cinema opening in Tunis and announced plans for further development in Ivory Coast, Morocco, and Senegal.
On October 28, 2021, the Dutch monarch bestowed the Royal Predicate on Pathé Tuschinski, leading to its renaming as Koninklijk Theater Tuschinski.
Pathé made its Moroccan debut in 2022 with a cinema located at Casablanca’s Californie Mall, focusing on accessible venues rather than premium luxury establishments.
Technologies
The chain incorporates cutting-edge technologies including IMAX. IMAX Corporation declared intentions to enhance its collaboration with Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont by increasing IMAX locations and upgrading all sites to IMAX Laser equipped with 12-channel audio by 2023. This initiative positions it as the first multi-country network fully utilizing IMAX Laser technology.
Additionally, Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont partners with Dolby to implement Dolby Atmos sound systems and Dolby Cinema experiences.
In 2017, a collaboration with Korean company CJ 4DPlex introduced France's inaugural 4DX theater. The agreement included plans for launching thirty 4DX cinemas across France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium by 2020, later extended to fifty venues. April 2018 marked the opening of the global 500th 4DX location at Pathé Belle Épine. Subsequently, their partnership expanded to feature two ScreenX auditoriums in Paris by June that year. Moreover, they installed Europe's first combined 4DX Screen auditorium in Paris.
In 2023, Pathé secured exclusive IMAX rights within Morocco, succeeding the previous Moroccan-owned IMAX theater at Morocco Mall.
Cinemas
The following table summarizes existing and forthcoming theaters managed by Pathé Cinémas within principal markets:
| City | Cinema | Features | Screens | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amiens | Pathé Amiens | 4DX | 12 | 2497 |
| Angers | Pathé Angers | 4DX, D-Box, Dolby Atmos | 12 | 2373 |
| Archamps | Pathé Archamps | IMAX Laser | 12 | 2554 |
| Aubière | Pathé Aubière Acquired from CineAlpes in 2019 | 4DX, IMAX Laser | 14 | 2464 |
| Avignon | Pathé Cap Sud | 4DX, D-Box | 14 | 2456 |
| Boulogne-Billancourt | Pathé Boulogne | — | 7 | 1444 |
| Brest | Multiplex Liberté Acquired from CineAlpes in 2019 | 4DX | 15 | 2521 |
| Caen | Pathé Les Rives de l'Orne | 4DX, D-Box, Dolby Atmos | 10 | 1795 |
| Conflans-Sainte-Honorine | Pathé Conflans | 4DX, IMAX Laser | 13 | 3035 |
| Grenoble (2 cinemas) |
| |||
| Ivry-sur-Seine | Pathé Quai d'Ivry | 4DX, IMAX Laser | 14 | 3314 |
| Le Grand-Quevilly | Pathé Grand Quevilly | 4DX, IMAX | 16 | 3531 |
| Lille-Sud (planned) | Pathé Lille-Sud Announced for opening in 2022 | — | — | — |
| Lyon (3 cinemas) |
| |||
| Marseille (3 cinemas) |
|
| City | Cinema | Features | Screens | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam (5 cinemas) |
|
| City | Cinema | Features | Screens | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva | Pathé Balexert | IMAX, D-Box | 13 | 2757 |
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| City | Cinema | Features | Screens | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleroi | Pathé Charleroi Acquired from Cinépointcom in 2015; 4DX, IMAX Laser | 15 | 3700 |
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| City | Cinema | Features | Screens | Seats |
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