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Pathé Cinémas

Pathé Cinémas SASU is a cinema chain owned by Pathé, with operations in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Morocco, and Tunisia. The company is market leader in the former three.[1] Pathé is Europe's second largest cinema chain and the oldest cinéma chain in the world still in operation.[2]

History

EuroPalaces was formed in 2001 when the French film production and distribution companies Pathé and Gaumont merged their cinema operations, respectively owned by Jérôme Seydoux and Nicolas Seydoux. Gaumont owned 34% and Pathé owned 66% of the shares in the joint venture. In 2010, EuroPalaces was renamed Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé. On March 1, 2017, it was announced that Gaumont sold its 34% stake in Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé to Pathé for €380 million,[3] Gaumont wanted to focus more on the production and distribution of content. The name of the company changed shortly thereafter to Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont, then to Pathé Cinémas in 2023 when Pathé removed the Gaumont brand from its cinemas.

The company grew its circuit with several acquisitions throughout the years, notable acquisitions were MGM Cinemas in 1995, Minerva Cinemas in 2010 in The Netherlands; CinePointCom in 2015 in Belgium; EuropaCorp Cinemas in 2016, CineAlpes in 2019 in France and Euroscoop Cinemas in 2019 in The Netherlands and Belgium. The majority of the acquired cinemas were - or are in the process of being - converted to the Pathé brand. In 2021 Pathé decided to sell three of its recent acquired CineAlpes cinemas to CinéWest.[4]

Until 2010 the company operated several cinemas in Italy, but these locations were sold due to difficulties in the Italian market.[5]

In 2018, Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont entered the African market by opening a cinema In Tunis, Tunisia, with plans in progress to open locations in Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal.[6]

On October 28, 2021, Pathé Tuschinski - during its centennial - received the Royal Predicate from the Dutch monarch, changing its name to Koninklijk Theater Tuschinski (Royal Theater Tuschinski).[7]

In 2022, the group entered the Moroccan market by opening a cinema in Californie Mall, Casablanca. Pathé Cinémas says it wants affordable cinemas, not luxury ones.[8]

Technologies

The company uses different technologies in their operations, like IMAX. The IMAX Corporation stated that it will strengthen its relationship with Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont. They will do that by expanding the total number of locations and also by upgrading existing locations to IMAX Laser with IMAX's 12-channel sound technology. The expanding and upgrading will start in 2018 and all locations will be upgraded by 2023, making Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont the first multi-territory network to be fully powered by IMAX Laser.[9]

The company also partnered with Dolby using their Dolby Atmos and Dolby Cinema products.

In 2017 they partnered with the Korean company CJ 4DPlex to open the first 4DX location in France. During the Cannes Film Festival, it was announced that Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont will open 30 4DX cinemas throughout France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium before 2020. On 22 December 2017 CJ 4DPlex announced in a press release that they have extended their agreement by adding an additional 20 locations, bringing the total to 50.[10]

With the opening of the 500th 4DX location worldwide at Pathé Belle Épine in April 2018, the company announced that they extended their partnership with CJ 4DPlex once with the opening of two ScreenX auditoriums in Paris in June 2018.[11] Additionally, it has installed the first 4DX Screen theater, a combination of 4DX and ScreenX, outside the Asian region in Paris.[12]

In 2023, Pathé Cinemas acquires exclusive rights for IMAX in Morocco, previously accorded to the Moroccan-owned IMAX cinema in Morocco Mall.

Regions served

Mainly based in France, Pathé Cinémas operates 38 cinemas across neighbouring Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Pathé also operates 7 cinemas in 4 countries in Africa.

Cinemas

A list of all current and future cinemas operated by Pathé Cinémas, as well as cinemas closed/sold since 2022.

External links

References

  1. Pathé Annual Brochure 2018 Annual Report, Pathé, March 2019, retrieved 16 August 2020^
  2. “Charles Pathé et Léon Gaumont, premiers géants du cinéma” : l'histoire passionnante d'une rivalité légendaire www.telerama.fr, 2024-05-15, retrieved 2025-09-04^
  3. Gaumont sells cinema chain stake to Pathé for $400 Million Article, Variety, March 2017, retrieved 16 August 2020^
  4. Centre France. Loisirs - Le CinéMazarin de Nevers change encore de main, vendu à CinéWest par Pathé-Gaumont www.lejdc.fr, 2021-06-22, retrieved 2021-10-26^
  5. Uci acquisisce il Circuito Pathé e Vis Pathé^
  6. À Dakar, le cinéma fait son retour en version XXL – Jeune Afrique JeuneAfrique.com, retrieved 2021-10-19^
  7. 100-jarige Amsterdamse bioscoop Tuschinski is vanaf nu koninklijk nos.nl, retrieved 2021-11-01^
  8. Pathé Cinémas s'implante à Casablanca^
  9. IMAX® With Laser Expands Across Europe As Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont Commits To 20 Systems Press Release, IMAX Corporation, July 2018, retrieved 16 August 2020^
  10. Les Cinemas Gaumont Pathe Increase 4DX Roll Out Commitment to 50 Theatres via Expanded Partnership Press Release, CJ 4DPLEX, December 2017, retrieved 16 August 2020^
  11. Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé adoptent la technologie ScreenX www.lesnumeriques.com, 9 April 2018^
  12. FIRST '4DX with ScreenX' IN EUROPE OPENS IN FRANCE WITH MARVEL STUDIOS' ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Press Release, CJ 4DPLEX, July 2018, retrieved 17 February 2020^
  13. Kinepolis Takes Over the Pathé Cinema in Belfort, France Box Office Pro, 29 March 2023, retrieved 9 November 2025^
  14. Anissa Hammadi. Fondation d'art contemporain sur l'île Seguin : les travaux démarrent cet été leparisien.fr, 2019-02-11, retrieved 2021-10-26^
  15. Un Multiplexe Pathé Gaumont ultra moderne va ouvrir à Lille Le Bonbon, 2021-05-12, retrieved 2021-10-26^
  16. Pathé Cinémas a repris l'exploitation des 3 Palmes de Marseille Box Office Pro, 31 January 2024, retrieved 9 November 2025^
  17. Kinepolis is taking over the cinema Gaumont Amnéville from Pathé Kinepolis Group, 14 December 2022, retrieved 9 November 2025^
  18. Herman Stil. Voor Pathé kunnen er juist na deze lockdown meer bioscopen bij Het Parool, 2021-06-03, retrieved 2021-06-10^
  19. The Capitol cinema in Basel reopens blue news, retrieved 9 November 2025^
  20. Pathé Cinémas s'ancre en Côte d'Ivoire Box Office Pro, retrieved 9 November 2025^
  21. Marjane dives into cinema with stake in Pathé Californie 7 News Morocco, retrieved 9 November 2025^