Wanda Film
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cinema, film production, film distribution |
| Predecessor | Wanda Cinema Line |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Wang Jianlin (key person) |
| Headquarters | Beijing , China |
Area served | China, Australia, New Zealand, worldwide |
Key people | Wang Jianlin (chairman as of 2014) |
| Products | Cinema operation, film production, film distribution |
| Owner | Dalian Wanda Group (majority shareholder) |
| Parent | Dalian Wanda Group |
| Website | www |
Wanda Film Holding Co., Ltd. (previously known as Wanda Cinema Line) stands as a prominent cinema operator, film producer, and distributor based in China, with its headquarters situated in Wanda Plaza, Chaoyang District, Beijing. It functions under the umbrella of the Dalian Wanda Group. As of 2014, the company was headed by Wang Jianlin. By January 2018, Wanda Cinemas had become the foremost film distributor in China, managing 525 cinemas with a total of 4,648 screens worldwide. Certain locations operate under the brand Wanda International Cinemas, showcasing a mix of Western and Chinese movies. The company reported revenues amounting to 13.2 billion yuan in 2017.
History
Established in 2005, Wanda Cinema Line quickly rose to prominence.
In 2014, it achieved box office earnings of 4.2 billion yuan ($681.7 million), leading the Chinese market. That same year, the China Securities Regulatory Commission granted approval for its initial public offering. Throughout 2015, Wanda maintained its position as the largest cinema chain by box office revenue, generating $945 million and securing a 14% share of the market.
By 2014, Wanda controlled 1,616 screens—including 94 IMAX screens—spread across 182 complexes in nearly 100 cities throughout China, positioning it as Asia’s largest theater operator. This number grew to approximately 2,000 screens by December 2015.
In March 2016, Wanda consolidated its domestic film production arms—Wanda Pictures and Qingdao Wanda Pictures—into Wanda Cinema Line.
The acquisition of Australian cinema chain Hoyts occurred in June 2015. Later, on July 27, 2016, Wanda announced its purchase of the film website Mtime.
Wanda’s box office revenue climbed to 7.6 billion RMB in 2016, marking a growth of 20.5%.
In March 2017, Wanda Cinema Line underwent a rebranding to become Wanda Film Holding.
By April 2017, the company continued to hold its status as China’s leading film distributor and recorded a net profit increase of 7.5% year-over-year.
In November 2017, Wanda Cinemas was honored with the "China Top 100 Enterprises Award."
On February 5, 2018, Wanda Group entered into a strategic investment agreement with Alibaba Group and Cultural Investment Holdings (CIS). Alibaba contributed an investment of 4.68 billion yuan while CIS invested 3.12 billion yuan, together acquiring a combined stake of 12.77% in Wanda Film Holding. Despite this, Wanda retained majority control with a shareholding of 48.09%.
On June 25, 2018, plans were unveiled to integrate Wanda’s film and entertainment divisions to enhance production capabilities across film, television, and gaming sectors. As part of this strategy, Wanda Film Holdings aimed to purchase a controlling interest of 96.83% in Wanda Media for approximately 11.6 billion yuan ($1.77 billion) through a combination of cash and stock.
Facilities and operations
Wanda Cinemas’ corporate headquarters are located within Wanda Plaza in Beijing’s Chaoyang District. The Beijing CBD Wanda Plaza hosts the main office along with the Beijing CBD Wanda Cinemas (北京万达电影城CBD店).
Several venues operate under the name Wanda International Cinemas. By 2016, the company managed a total of 2,789 screens across more than 320 theaters spanning China, Australia, and New Zealand. As of June that year, it stood as China’s largest exhibitor with around 2,700 screens distributed among 311 theaters.
In 2018, Shanghai Wujiaochang Wanda Cinema introduced China’s first LED cinema screen technology featuring an ultra-clear 4K resolution on an expansive nearly 10.3-meter-wide display with peak brightness levels ten times greater than those offered by conventional projection systems.