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Phoenix666 writes:

A company is rolling out its 4D experience to add physical effects to the cinema experience:

Movie theaters are in for some very stormy weather now that CJ 4DPlex is rolling out its three newest effects: snow, rainstorm and warm air.

The inclement weather simulations will be shared with the public for the first time at CinemaCon, the annual exhibition trade show taking place this April in Las Vegas. It’s part of what the company has dubbed its 4DX experience.

The new additions join 4DX’s catalogue of standard effects, which include motion, water, fog, wind, air, lightning, bubbles, ticklers, scents and vibration. The idea of 4D theaters, which remain more popular in foreign countries than in the U.S., is to heighten the theatrical experience by pumping auditoriums with effects that mirror the on-screen action.

CJ 4DPlex says that the new effects will create a more immersive experience for any on-screen floods, explosions, earthquakes, tornadoes and fires. It also arrives just in time for a summer movie slate that includes disaster films like “San Andreas” and apocalyptic adventures such as “Mad Max: Fury Road,” both of which will be screened by the company.

4D theaters have been around in select places for several years now. My kids have dragged me to the Dora & Diego 4D movie at the Bronx Zoo scores of times; but, will such features find wider adoption? Will 4D succeed where 3D has failed to bring audiences back to the cinema?