FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Cinemas in South Florida have added special effects to movies with special effects.

You can catch summer blockbusters like “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey,” along with other select titles, in theaters featuring interactive technology such as motion seats and atmospheric elements.

Regal Cinemas, for example, has 4DX auditoriums with multisensory enhancements that bring the film world into the real world with full-body immersion synced up with the on-screen action.

“Using 21 atmospheric effects like motion, vibration, water, wind, snow, lightning and scents, the 4DX auditorium and seats captivate moviegoers throughout the whole film,” said Carlos Rivera, general manager of Regal Sawgrass in Sunrise. “The 4DX format also translates to a wide range of content beyond just action movies, with horror titles and concert films also being crowd favorites.”

Meanwhile, Cinemark Theatres has been steadily rolling out D-BOX seats, which move in coordination with action in a film.

“We are definitely seeing there is consumer demand for this really unique experience,” Cinemark spokesperson Julia McCartha said.

The days of simply projecting films onto a silver screen are going the way of silent movies. These newer features join other auditorium technology such as laser projection, expanded screens (adding a peripheral vision quality), Dolby Atmos sound and, of course, high-resolution IMAX showings.

“A lot of our theaters, especially in South Florida, also have our Cinemark XD auditoriums, and that’s our own premium large format where it has the largest screen in the building and custom surround sound. So it’s just a really premium viewing experience,” McCartha added.

4DX seats at Regal Sawgrass and Regal Dania Pointe

Special effect: The 4DX seats “prove that the theatrical movie experience is extraordinary,” Rivera said. “Guests are always shocked by how realistic the effects are in the 4DX auditorium and leave their movie asking about the next blockbuster.” There are fog machines, rainstorm fans, seat shaker amplifiers, flashing strobe lights and strong scents, according to Regal’s website.

Back story: The multisensory 4DX experience was created by CJ 4DPlex in 2009, according to the South Korean cinema technology company.

Where:

—Regal Sawgrass, 2600 NW 136th Ave., Sunrise

—Regal Dania Pointe, 128 Sunset Drive, Dania Beach

Cost:

—For Regal Sawgrass — $22.99-$27.48 for guests age 12 and older; $21.99-$24.99 for children younger than 12; $21.99-$24.49 for seniors

—For Regal Dania Pointe — $28.99 for guests age 12 and older; $27.99 for children younger than 12 and seniors

Information: regmovies.com/4dx

D-BOX seats at Cinemark Paradise 24 in Davie

Special effect: “D-BOX motion seats enhance your movie-watching experience by moving the body and kind of sparking the imagination through a series of perfectly synchronized moments,” McCartha said. “They actually utilize over 65,000 haptic movements, so it can be everything from a slight vibration to a movement of the seat. And D-BOX works with studios to program the chairs individually for each film. So it ensures that it’s a really unique experience every time and it completely matches that action that you’re seeing on the screen.”

By the way, you can “adjust the intensity of the motion” of the D-BOX seat or turn it on and off, according to Cinemark’s website. And if your group is split on the experience, you may be able to choose a regular chair within the same auditorium as the D-BOX seats: “Theatres featuring D-BOX traditionally devote [two to three] — usually 20 to 30 individual seats — to D-BOX.”

Back story: The D-BOX special seating within Cinemark auditoriums debuted back in 2013. “We’ve just been seeing more and more consumer enthusiasm for it,” McCartha added. “Particularly in the past few years, I would say we’ve seen a trend of moviegoers really opting for these premium viewing options, and so we have continued to add more and more seats across our circuit.”

Where: Cinemark Paradise 24 and XD, 15601 Sheridan St., Davie

Cost:

—D-BOX seat prices vary based on film, day and time, but are generally around $24.25 for adults and $21.50 for children ages 1-11 and seniors age 62 and older.

—On Discount Tuesdays, all ticket prices are approximately 50% off weekend prices.

Information: cinemark.com/theatre-technology/d-box

D-BOX seats at CMX Cinemas Downtown at the Gardens 16 & IMAX

Special effect: As with all D-BOX seating, the chairs are calibrated to match the movie’s action with motions and vibrations.

Back story: CMX Cinemas first started in Mexico, with its first U.S. location debuting in Miami-Dade County back in 2017.

Where: CMX Cinemas Downtown at the Gardens 16 & IMAX, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave., Suite 1201, Palm Beach Gardens

Cost:

—$16.99 for adults, $11.99 for children, $15.24 for seniors and military from Fridays-Sundays

—$8.50-$14 for all D-BOX seats on Mondays-Thursdays

Information: cmxcinemas.com/dbox

Honorable mention: ‘BLUR’ at MAD Arts in Dania Beach

Special effect: “BLUR” is a theater production that uses motion capture, augmented reality, virtual reality, installations and live performance. The audience experiences the narrative through virtual reality headsets. “The story is beautiful; the cinematography of it is beautiful,” said Marc Aptakin, founder of MAD Arts, which will run the show from November through January. “They incorporated certain things like wind and scent to hit all your other senses on top of what you were seeing through the headset. There’s a point where you step onto a platform and you feel like you’re dropping multiple stories. And, man, does it feel real, you know?”

Back story: In 2025, “BLUR” had a world premiere at the Taiwan International Festival of the Arts and then played Venice Immersive at the Venice International Film Festival before production runs in Germany and Canada. The U.S. debut will be at MAD Arts. The story is set in a near future where cloning, genetic engineering and de-extinction has defeated death. As co-director/co-writer Craig Quintero explained, “The question that looms over us is not if someone will clone a human, but when this line will be crossed. ‘BLUR’ probes these ethical questions, immersing the audience in a sensory labyrinth of simultaneously wondrous and frightening possibilities, encouraging them to reflect on fundamental existential questions: Who am I? What makes me ‘me’? What would you do for love?”

When/where: Nov. 9, 2026, through Jan. 4, 2027, at MAD Arts, 481 S. Federal Highway, Dania Beach

Cost: $44.99 through Aug. 31; $49.99 in September; $59.99 starting Oct. 1

Information: yeswearemadarts.com

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