Eden Cinemas will join only a handful of movie theatres around the world, as it announces the screening of the highly anticipated blockbuster, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey', showing in 3D, at 48 frames per second (48fps). The Hobbit, directed by Peter Jackson, is the first feature film ever filmed at 48 frames per second. Although theatres around the world will also be screening the film in an array of formats, including 2D and 3D at the standard 24 fps, it is believed that the true way to experience the film is in it's unique 48fps format. The new viewing experience, is perceived as occurring at the same speed as films shown at 24fps, but the clarity and smoothness of visuals is unmatched - giving audiences a heightened sense of reality, and a 3D experience which is not only more memorable, but also easier on the eyes. In layman’s terms the amount of information coming through a person’s eye is quickly becoming as significant as real eye sight bringing another realm of cinema to the fore.

In his presentation at CinemaCon 2011, acclaimed director, James Cameron, introduced high frame rates as the "future of cinema," boldly stating "if watching a 3D movie is like looking through a window, then we've taken the glass out of the window, and we're staring at reality."

The digital projector used at the Eden Cinemas’ cinema 16 has recently been upgraded to make it capable of projecting films at both 48 frames per second, and 60 frames per second. Although, to date, no films have been produced and screened at 60 frames per second, director James Cameron has announced plans to do just that for the upcoming sequels to the beloved, Avatar.

Simon De Cesare Eden Leisure Group Director stated, “We are constantly striving to remain at the forefront of the cinema experience in Malta and through a significant investment we are now able to show our customers the future of cinema. Peter Jackson himself is passionately urging people to see it in 48 frames per second which is the way it was meant to be seen.”