Barco, the cinema projection company, is expanding its premium HDR by Barco format in Germany.
Starting in November, the company will install the Barco HDR format at select Cineplex Germany locations and in Cinedom Cologne. This expansion marks a major footprint in European moviegoing, as Cineplex is a leading German exhibitor, and Cinedom Cologne is one of the country’s largest cinemas.
The initiative will bring premium large format cinema to Cineplex Goslar and Cineplex Paderborn for the first time. As part of the international expansion, HDR by Barco is launching at three Cineplex Germany venues — Cineplex Münster, Cineplex Paderborn Pollux and Cineplex Goslar — available as “Ultimate. in HDR by Barco” at these locations.
Cineplex Münster, celebrating 25 years of operation this month, will be the first theater in the world with two HDR by Barco enabled auditoriums, representing a technological expansion to their current PLF offering. At Cinedom Cologne, the new HDR theater will launch the circuit’s new “CinedomX” experience, a freshly conceived premium cinema concept from the brand. Installations are underway now so moviegoers in Germany will be able to enjoy major holiday tentpoles opening in HDR by Barco this holiday season.
“We’re proud to bring HDR by Barco to German audiences through our partnerships with
Cineplex and Cinedom—two of the country’s most respected cinema brands,” said Gerwin
Damberg, EVP of Barco Cinema. “As someone who grew up in Germany, this milestone is
personally meaningful. It’s exciting to see our vision and technology come full circle, enhancing
the cinematic experience in the very theaters that once inspired my love of film.”
The company’s CEO An Steegen, who is on Variety‘s Women’s Impact report for 2025, said: “The accelerated drive for innovation and elevating cinema experience is transforming and reinvigorating the industry. The 2026 slate looks strong, and audiences will have a lot to look forward to. Many of the technology initiatives announced this year will continue, or in some cases rapidly expand, into next year, bringing more options and more access to exceptional cinema.”
She added the company is focused on the expansion of HDR by Barco using Lightsteering technology. “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We’re always working on our portfolio roadmap to fuel a pipeline of solutions that are capable of powering the world of entertainment today and tomorrow,” she said. “Whether that means more efficient technologies, a lower environmental impact, advanced image quality or cutting-edge experiences, we’re on a mission to leverage innovation to drive results for the industries we work in, and the people who benefit from them. In cinema, this means taking care of partners in exhibition for the long-term and delivering what they need to keep moviegoers coming back week after week.”
Past releases in the format have included “Superman,” “F1” and “28 Years Later.” The upcoming “Wicked: For Good” will also be released in HDR format this year.
Stateside, Barco is also expanding the reach of its HDR format through partnerships with exhibitors and will have more than 30 HDR locations by the end of the year. Regal Cinemas has committed to establishing 20 RPX screens in the U.S. by the end of this year, and Alamo Drafthouse is also scheduled to add several HDR screens.
Based on the company’s patented Lightsteering technology, Barco’s approach to HDR works by strategically redistributing light on screen to produce highlights that are over six times brighter than traditional projection, while retaining rich details in the darks for greater depth, clarity and range. HDR by Barco delivers expansive creative possibilities for filmmakers, producing a wide color gamut with high-contrast images that captivate audiences.
