Entertainment Social Arena #4 – Movie Magic Drives Entertainment

AI Constructed Brief

Highlighting the surge in “Cinetainment,” where social entertainment venues blend cinema, streaming IP, and experiential attractions. Major theater chains are investing over $2.2 billion to modernize with attractions like amusement arcades, bowling, and immersive social experiences. Companies like Es Vedra Cinemas are rebranding venues (e.g., Hooky) to incorporate entertainment, IP-based attractions, and social dining. Streaming giants like Netflix are expanding into location-based experiences, opening ‘Netflix House’ venues featuring themed zones, immersive games, and VR experiences, with plans for multiple locations by 2027. Movie studios such as Paramount and NBCUniversal are developing IP-driven venues with live experiences, themed dining, and immersive attractions based on blockbuster franchises. The sector also sees increasing adoption of XR and VR technology, with companies like Sandbox VR, Zero Latency, and Sony leveraging licensed properties for immersive entertainment. These trends reflect a strategic shift toward blending physical, digital, and IP-driven experiences, presenting new investment opportunities in the evolving social entertainment landscape.

Full ESA Report

Exploring Cinetainment

The appearance of social entertainment venues based on movie and streaming properties has gathered momentum in recent years. Cinema Entertainment venues have come to be defined as “Cinetainment” sites, but also include an extensive Eatertainment element, as all in Social Entertainment have been seeing a major investment insurgence, we look at the new drivers in the scene.

Recently, the eight biggest theater chains in the U.S. and Canada announced that they plan to invest more than $2.2 billion to modernize – theater owners have been adding attractions like pickleball and ziplines in addition to upgrading their auditoriums. But there were also plans to invest heavily in social entertainment components to these and other venues. An attempt by the movie theater business to address flagging box office and supercharge their offering by including an entertainment element. 

Many of the plans by cinema chains to enter the “Cinetainment” scene have been evolving. This was illustrated by the reveal that Es Vedra Cinemas – the parent company behind several cinema venues has decided to rebrand one of their ‘EVO Entertainment’ sites to the new ‘Hooky’ branding. The first example of this sees the previously new ‘EVO Entertainment’, Hutto, Texas facility – that saw construction start in June 2024 for a May 2025 opening rebranded to ‘Hooky’. The rebranded 54,000-sq.,ft., facility comprising eight screening rooms including an IMAX room, along with a 5,500-sq.,ft., amusement arcade, a 12-lane bowling setup and full-service kitchen supporting QR ordering. 

Es Vedra Cinemas worked with branding agency Helms Workshop to create the “Hooky” brand – which is intended to be rolled out nationally. The company spun from the owners of the remaining ‘EVO Entertainment’ chain (Elevate Entertainment Group (EEG)) in February 2025. While Es Vedra retained the newly rebranded ‘Hooky’, along with ‘Violet Crown Cinemas’ and ‘ShowBiz Cinemas’ venues as part of the separating agreement. The ‘Hooky’ brand has been linked to a new development at Nashville Yards entertainment complex in Tennessee, which had previously been earmarked for a 48,000-sq.,ft., EVO Entertainment site. At the same time EEG has started to accelerate their own roll out plans with a new concept for food hubs in support of the entertainment venues. This is just one example of the accelerated investment in this sphere, but not all projects are adding amusement to a cinema; some are looking towards a unique venue based on movie and streaming properties.  

The explosion in developing physical entertainment spaces based on IP from movies and streaming has grown in importance. The recent CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas, and CineEurope 2025 in Barcelona, saw discussions on further developments in this direction. Not just the big movie studios are looking at this approach, but the ascending streaming service providers have focused on looking at bringing their popular properties to life as entertainment venue offerings, igniting a brand-new aspect of the social entertainment landscape.  

One of these was the launch of ‘Netflix House’ – an experiential entertainment venue concept by Netflix. One of the world’s leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships across TV series, films and games. Set to open at Galleria Dallas in the fall of 2025 their entry into the LBE space. The venue will occupy a 110,000-sq., ft., space, previously a Marshall Field’s store, and will feature themed restaurants, interactive games, and retail merchandise from popular Netflix shows. This will be quickly followed the same year with the opening of the Philadelphia site at King of Prussia Mall, occupying a 100,000-sq., ft., space.

We have learned that these venues will comprise zones branded ‘Netflix Bites’ – restaurant and bar area, ‘Netflix RePLAY’ – immersive attraction and amusement area, along with a themed ‘Top 9’ mini-golf course, ‘TUDUM Theater’ screen room, with unique experiences based on IP “Wednesday”, “Squid Game”, along with “Stranger Things” and “One Piece” as escape rooms. It was also confirmed that Sandbox VR will be installing VR arenas at the sites running IP based experiences (like those already in operation) – called ‘Netflix Virtuals’ (we discuss further later in the report).

In a surprise move in June, during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity it was revealed that Netflix will increase rollout for the first number of ‘Netflix House’ entertainment venues. With new plans looking in 2027 of opening an additional Las Vegas venue on the strip (BLVD Las Vegas), after opening ‘Netflix Philadelphia’ and ‘Netflix Dallas’ later this year, initially focused on repopulating abandoned department-store-size spaces. A major development and commitment to a project that has yet to open a first facility, let alone gauge the audience reaction to the implementation of this ambitious concept. At the Cannes event, the details of the composition of these LBE venues were revealed. 

Netflix has been active in the social entertainment scene promoting their shows, such as with the ‘Army of the Dead – Viva Las Vengeance: A VR Experience’ that toured and is now resident at AREA15 in Vegas. As well as the ‘Squid Game: The Experience’, which opened in New York. Most of these marketing promotions have been temporary with over 40 live experiences rolled out. Netflix experimented with elements that will now be deployed in ‘Netflix House’. Such as having opened in 2023 a three-week popup version of the ‘Netflix Bites’ full-service restaurant in Los Angeles. The temporary F&B concept moved to Las Vegas, (inside the MGM Grand Casino), and may explain the addition of the area to the roll out of the ‘Netflix House’ concept as a permanent facility. 

This marks what some have called a “strategic pivot” by the corporation known for its streaming service and recognized IP. That the Netflix operation has accelerated the roll-out even before their first facility has opened, underlines the investment being placed in what is seen as the defining of the Phygital business from a movie and streaming perspective. 

During the buildup for CinemaCon’25 it was revealed that a new venue based on the Paramount Pictures IP of “Top Gun” was being developed by Paramount Global, partnering with hotel and live entertainment corporation Advent Allen Entertainment. The concept is set for flagship deployment, in a purpose-built facility, located on the site of the Strat Hotel in Las Vegas. Embracing the fighter jet theme of the movie, with live experiences, and themed dining, along with a unique jet fighter simulator attraction. As raised by our sister publication The Stinger Report – the concept of a jet fighter simulator attraction igniting memories of the failed Magic Edge venue concept from 30-years-ago, (see previous coverage for more on the trials and tribulations of that concept).

Returning to the more traditional cinema sector investing in Cinetainment, we have seen Cinemark throw open the doors of their first ‘Gamescape’ facility in El Paso, Texas – a mixture of amusement, attractions, F&B, and cinema auditorium. The 38,000-sq.,ft., venue with 18-lane bowling, lasertag and seven screening rooms, estimated to cost $20 million and is a new concept for the cinema chain to pivot into Cinetainment. As the site readies to throw open its doors it was revealed the plans for a second venue. Real estate group Woodbury Corporation announced that they plan to develop a ‘Gamescape’ space as part of their new ‘Crossroads’ mixed-use space in Omaha, Nebraska.

Speaking of Cinemark, and the operation held a few weeks after CinemaCon’25 their Management Conference, for theater operators, and on display were some of the new thinking in the foyer and Cinetainment sector. One presentation turned many heads, with motion actuator giant D-BOX presenting an example of their race sim investment. The company presented their ‘ASR-X’ Sim Racing Pod, a standalone racing simulator with actuators and an immersive curved screen, all in a pay-to-play package (self-operated). The platform, which was also seen at CinemaCon’25, was presented as part of a new entertainment concept that Cinemark, Advanced SimRacing and D-BOX will reveal shortly – watch this space. 

The growth of Cinetainment style venues has seen much action amongst merger and acquisition of those developers of cinema business supported with a strong entertainment element. The ability for existing theater chains to add an entertainment component is restricted by available space, if not considered from the start. One of those new theater operators that incorporated entertainment from the start can be seen with The Light, chain of venues. It was reported that the group was acquired by hospitality entrepreneur Luke Johnson and Risk Capital Partners, along with a co-investment from Melcorpo – investing more than £15 million ($20.29 million) over the next two years with the aim of doubling its size – currently operating 13 sites.

This effort to grow the Cinetainment offering has seen their venues increase their entertainment attraction offering. ‘The Light Huddersfield’ recently opened revealed a partnership with Batfast. The projection ball tracked sports game platform installed. This follows Batfast partnering with SIXES and their Sports Social Entertainment (“Sportainment”), Competitive Socializing venue, along with their new Moonshot: baseball site. But has also collaborated with venues such as Gravity MAX, Roxy Lanes, Tenpin and many others. We will go into much more detail regarding the emergence of the “Sportainment” sector impact on social entertainment, in coming exclusive coverage.

Regarding other Cinetainment venues, we have seen a resurgence of chain venue development. Sites such as Roadhouse Cinema chain and their new ‘Roadies Lanes Games + Gastropub’ and ‘Rail Yard Gaming + Gastropub’ venues; combining a strong social entertainment. Also, B&B Theaters and several new openings of amusement entertainment alongside their cinema business. New investment into this sphere from other chains like Film Alley, opening in Breckenridge, Little Rock, Arkansas, part of a chain of five entertainment infused theaters in the large. Or Megaplex, opening their first Cinetainment venue at Downtown Daybreak in South Jordan, Utah – the venue comprising an 18-lane bowling space supported with amusement and dining areas – all supporting the cinema component of an 8-screen theater. This part of the 18-facility chain.

While some look towards traditional amusement and bowling technology to augment their movie business. We have seen some of these venues employ XR technology. And now we have new XR technology turning the tables to offer new ways to consume the movie going experience. 

Emerging newcomer, COSM have added film screening to their roster of live sports and performance presentations screened on their immersive “CX” system – a premium wide-field LED Dome.

LED screen technology based on their planetarium business, now operating two theaters (LA, Dallas), with two to come (Atlanta, Detroit). What has been defined as “Shared Reality” (SR), the immersive screen experience is supported by VIP dining and cocktails to create a new level of audience engagement. Now the operation has licensed a specially curated presentation of the 1999 sci-fi blockbuster film ‘The Matrix’ (Warner Bros.,).

COSM has become one of the fastest moving immersive experience venue developers. Also offering at their sites flexible event spaces within the 30,000-sq.,ft., venues. The operation announced the plans for their fifth venue being Cleveland. In a partnership with Bedrock, and Rock Entertainment Group (REG), the new venue will anchor Bedrock‘s mixed-use Rock Block development in downtown Cleveland. COSM had previously worked with Bedrock on plans for their fourth venue in Detroit – and the third venue in Atlanta.

Building on IP

While the cinema sector is looking to offer entertainment alongside the screened movie properties, we now see those movie studios major IP bridging the divide between physical and digital (“Phygital”). With properties based on popular blockbusters turned into immersive experiences with social entertainment vibes. Much of this charted during the Licensing Expo 2025 event recently covered in our sister publication the Stinger Report.

Properties that have been developed into their own standalone venue experiences have gathered momentum in recent years. One of those XR experiences included ‘Army of the Dead’ based on the Netflix property. The corporation has doubled down on a Phygital future announcing details of their ‘Netflix House’ LBE concept crammed with licensed entertainment, as we discussed previously. One of these venues will be in Las Vegas, a territory crammed with new IP licensed developments. The new AREA15 hub saw the opening of the ‘John Wick Experience’ – a mission room adventure with F&B, themed around the LionsGate property. While also located in the hub is ‘Universal Horror Unleashed’ an all-year-round immersive horror experience based on the NBCUniversal IP. Ahead of the Vegas opening, the developers Universal Destinations & Experiences division, revealed plans for a second venue based on the horror concept to open in Chicago in 2027.

NBCUniversal movie IP has fully embraced the LBE landscape, from immersive experiences to amusement product placement. The recent ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ movie release has seen in the first five days a record box office of $145.3 million – being the sixth movie in the Jurassic Park / Jurassic World series. And we have seen amusement development based on this property from Raw Thrills with their ‘Jurassic Park Arcade’ Environmental Cabinet release in 2020. Raw Thrills has become a powerhouse developing popular pieces based on movie IP.  Other examples, being the launch of their ‘Top Gun: Maverick Arcade’ based on the Paramount Pictures IP. This is a movie property we have already mentioned previously, planned to be turned into a LBE immersive entertainment venue.

The deployment of XR investment as leverage for brands into the Phygital landscape has been a key element of this new investment. We have seen current immersive technology employed to create these experiences. One of those developers is Sandbox VR, with over 60 international facilities based on their multiplayer free-roam VR arena experience. Having surpassed $200 million in lifetime sales – with $1.7 million in annual revenue across US venues. With plans to roll out some 200 franchised locations by 2027 – having raised additional investment of $6.8 million towards this growth. The company licences movie and show IP for their immersive game experiences such as the ‘Squid Games’ series, or the ‘Rebel Moon’ franchise – and most recently ‘Stranger Things: Catalyst’, all from Netflix.

It is interesting to observe that Netflix has only looked at commercial entertainment VR development, with none of these properties released as consumer VR titles. This relationship has cultivated to Sandbox VR working on the streaming services new LBE facility concept ‘Netflix House’ as we stated above. Sandbox VR will be installing unique VR attractions on site to be called ‘Netflix Virtuals’ – offering a selection of specially curated VR game experiences based on IP.

This will be the latest deployment of unique VR game experiences based on movie IP deployed in studio owned LBE properties. A few years ago, we saw the launch by Sony Pictures of their concept venue ‘Wonderverse’. A location-based entertainment facility that comprised a mixed-entertainment and hospitality offering. First opened in Oakbrook Center, Chicago during 2024. Along with including amusement, ‘Bad Boys’ race sims, ‘Zombieland’ bumper cars and ‘Uncharted’ escape room attractions based on movie and game properties from Sony. The corporation also installed off the shelf VR amusement from HOLOGATE based on the ‘Ghostbusters’ property. And invested in their own free-roaming VR attraction based on the ‘Jumanji’ property, developed by the reformed The VOID operation. A venue concept that saw a difficult birthing and critical reception.

One of the leading developers of VR free-roaming arena attractions is Zero Latency, who have also embraced IP properties to offer across their 120 venues. Having seen more than 5 million players, with plans for 35 more sites in various stages of deployment. Licensing IP from videogame publishers Ubisoft with ‘Farcry VR’, and more recently the new ‘Space Marines VR’ based on the Warhammer 40k universe. A property crossing boardgames, videogames, and now planned movie streamed series. Continued immersive amusement and attraction investment, proven a powerful vehicle for movie properties.

Leading developer Hero Zone VR has revealed that they will be licensing and releasing ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’, in partnership with Studio Canal, Canal+. The VR developer proposes to release in September the VR game based on the property, made available across their 450 installed free-roam arenas. This is the second time that the highly influential “Terminator” IP has been used as a vehicle for VR technology. Most notably the free-roam VR attraction ‘Terminator: Salvation’, released in 2018 by developer SPACES, in a partnership with Cinemark. Several pop-up installations of their incarnation of the dystopian sci-fi universe saw US release at the time – though would never go on to achieve the aspirations of the developer.

Other XR platforms that have turned to the marketability of including licensed game and movie properties in their library is MR developer Immersive Gamebox. Known for several games based on movie properties, ranging from licensing with Netflix, releasing their own immersive enclosure interpretation of ‘Squid Games’ as well as ‘Floor is Lava’. Along with licensing from Sony ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Angry Birds’. Most recently the company has announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences to release a ‘BATMAN’ adventure for their platform. Warner Bros. Discovery have seen success from their videogame movie properties, recently with ‘A Minecraft Movie’ seeing a $162.8 million box-office from its April release to July. Having again worked with Raw Thrills to create an amusement release based on this IP with ‘Minecraft Dungeons Arcade’ in the amusement scene, while also partnering to create a traveling pop-up immersive experience.

The restructuring of the movie studio universe playing a part in fuelling the investigation into new areas of business. With developments such as Skydance Media merging with Paramount, the restructuring and the splitting of Warner Bros. Discovery, and the separation of Lionsgate from Starz. What was described by one observer – these developments are turning IP into lifestyle – allowing characters and movie representations to be turned into real experiences, many within Phygital environments. We can expect to see many other studios and production houses leverage their IP into the social-player-space.