International Business

Warner, Australia Firms Team in Cinema Expansion: The joint venture includes plans to develop 18 new multiplex cinemas, with 20 to 25 screens each, in Australia at a cost of $266 million. The expansion plan will add 70,000 seats and more than double the number of screens operated by the venture to 525. The joint venture is equally owned by Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Ltd. and Amalgamated Holdings Ltd., a subsidiary of Greater Union. Some of the complexes will include indoor theme parks and multiple restaurants. The three-year plan involves new sites as well as expansion of existing suburban sites.