The future of the former IMAX cinema at Morocco Mall in Casablanca remains uncertain. Closed since 2023, the complex was supposed to be taken over and completely renovated by Cinerji. Three years after the project was announced, however, the cinema remains closed and the Moroccan chain has ultimately abandoned plans to establish a site there.
According to multiple sources, several operators had shown interest in the complex in recent years, including Pathé. But the condition of the building, located on the seafront and heavily exposed to humidity and sea spray, would have significantly increased the cost of bringing it back up to standard. The scale of the renovation work ultimately led the operators who had expressed interest to reconsider their plans.
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This was the case for Cinerji in particular. “There is a huge amount of work to be done, and waterproofing alone costs around MAD 5 million. We tried to negotiate with the owners so that they would contribute to the cost, but those discussions did not succeed. So we decided to withdraw from the project,” Hakim Chagraoui, Cinerji’s CEO, told Le360.
An ambitious redevelopment project abandoned
In June 2023, Morocco Mall and Cinerji had announced a strategic partnership aimed at giving the former IMAX complex a new lease on life. The plan was to transform the single-screen cinema into a next-generation multiplex with four screens and around 600 seats.
The centerpiece of the project was the former 400-seat IMAX auditorium, which was to be converted into a 380-seat Ōma auditorium, while three new screens would complete the complex. The design was entrusted to Pierre Chican, a French architect specializing in cinema facilities and founder of Ōma Cinema.
The future complex was also set to move away from the IMAX format in favor of Christie projection equipment and Dolby Laboratories audio solutions, including Dolby Atmos immersive sound. The main auditorium was also designed to host shows, turning the venue into a hybrid space for both cinema and events.
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The original schedule called for the work to be completed by December 2023, with the complex opening between the end of that year and the first quarter of 2024. Those deadlines were never met.
According to Hakim Chagraoui, the delay was due to the extent of the problems affecting the building and the cost of bringing it back up to standard. Waterproofing alone would require an investment of around MAD 5 million. With no agreement reached with the owners on contributing to the cost of the work, Cinerji ultimately abandoned the project.
Twelve years as an IMAX cinema
Opened alongside Morocco Mall in 2011, the cinema had been one of the shopping center’s main attractions. Its single auditorium, with around 400 seats, allowed Casablanca audiences to watch major international productions in IMAX.
For more than a decade, the cinema screened numerous international blockbusters, including showings in their original language with subtitles. Its programming also included Moroccan and international productions.
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Its closure in 2023 was initially expected to mark the beginning of a new phase. Cinerji, presented when the partnership was announced as Morocco’s first 100% Moroccan multiplex cinema chain, had made Morocco Mall the first step in a much broader expansion plan across the Kingdom.
Three years later, the planned redevelopment has not materialized and Cinerji has officially moved on. The group is now pursuing its expansion at other locations, while no new plans to take over the former IMAX complex at Morocco Mall have been announced so far.
The building therefore remains closed, leaving the future of a site that was one of Casablanca’s landmark large-format cinema venues for more than a decade uncertain.
