BIG Cinemas to add 100 more screens

Reliance ADAG company BIG Cinemas today said it plans to add 100 screens over the next year to expand its film exhibition business globally.

The company currently has 500 screens across India, Malaysia, the US and Netherlands.

"The company is proposing to scale up BIG Cinemas' network with plans to add further 100 screens over the next year," BIG Cinemas said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The Reliance MediaWorks division company had opened a new multiplex in Malaysia, taking the total screen count to 500.

BIG Cinemas has 240 screens across 75 Indian cities and rest of the screens are spread over the US, Malaysia and the Netherlands, the statement said.

"Hitting the historic milestone of 500 BIG Cinemas screens worldwide is hugely significant. There is a great opportunity in exhibition infrastructure worldwide and while domestic expansion continues to be an area of thrust for us, we are also fully committed to expanding our global footprint," Reliance MediaWorks Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anil Arjun said.

BIG Cinemas has aggregated a 24-city cinema network in the US that regularly screens Hindi, Tamil, Telegu and Punjabi movies, apart from Hollywood releases. The Malaysian screens play Hollywood features along with Chinese, Malay and Tamil films catering to 1.5 million people of Indian origin, the statement said.

Targeting Europe, BIG Cinemas has partnered with Pathe Theatres to begin screening of Indian movies in the Netherlands, it added.