Cineplex Odeon
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Cineplex Odeon Corporation was one of North America's largest movie theatre operators, with theatres in its home country of Canada and the United States. Cineplex Odeon Corporation is now operated by Cineplex Entertainment in Canada and AMC Theatres in United States.
Cineplex was founded in April 19, 1979, by 1979, Garth Drabinsky and Nat Taylor, when its first theatre complex opened in the Toronto Eaton Centre, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In 1984, Cineplex bought out Canadian Odeon Theatres a unit of the UK firm Odeon Cinemas and operator of the Odeon cinemas in Canada, to become Cineplex Odeon. A film distribution outlet, Cineplex Odeon Films along with a home video distribution outlet, Cineplex Odeon Home Video (Later Cineplex Odeon Video), was established some time later, but the film distribution outlet ceased operations in 1997 and the home video outlet ceased in 2000.
In May 1998, Cineplex Odeon Theatres merged with New York City-based Loews Theatres (founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew) to form Loews Cineplex Entertainment. Within a few years, Onex sold the U.S. unit, keeping the Canadian operations and forming Cineplex Galaxy LP. Its cinema in Burlington, Washington is one of the locations with its original sign.
In July 2005, Cineplex Galaxy LP acquired Famous Players, its largest competitor in Canada, from Viacom, becoming the largest theatre chain in Canada. The company has since renamed itself to Cineplex Entertainment LP.
