While drive-ins catered to Australia's suburban and vast regional markets, the hard-top theatres targeted the country's growing inner-city areas where their populations were less reliant on private automobile ownership.

Village Roadshow became a pioneer in building and converting its existing single or 'twin' screen cinemas into the multiplex concept, investing in new sound and projection technologies and introducing new features, such as stadium-style seating.

The partnership, called the Australian Multiplex Joint Venture, grew quickly through the 1990s, establishing a chain of nearly 30 theatres with nearly 320 screens.

By July 1999, Gold Class had already expanded to three auditoriums in Village Cinemas at Westfield Southland; two at Century City Walk; three at Sunshine Marketplace; and one at The Jam Factory.

Also by that time, the concept broadened to Birch Carroll & Coyle sites in Brisbane; with two screens at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre; and another two at Garden City.

The ownership structure saw Village Roadshow and Force Corporation New Solo Link Entertainment Centre Complex Medium sized keep 25% each, with Hoyts holding the remaining 50%.

It was estimated by some business analysts that the combined group controlled more than two-thirds of all box office sales in New Zealand which concerned the Commerce Commission.

However, after months of negotiations and legal threats from the Commission, Village Force Sololink Third The Next Level and Hoyts jointly announced in September 2000 that they would unwind the new partnership going back to their original ownership structures.

Both companies said the courts would have upheld the alliance in the end, but conceded the costs and time required in legal actions meant it was not worth battling the Commerce Commission over the issue.

Village Force Manukau Mt Eden Mt Wellington new Lynn Newmarket Auckland Henderson-West City St Lukes Glenfield Mall Crosstown Botany Downs Onehunga in Royal Oak And X Sololink chief executive, Joe Moodabe told the New Zealand Herald, "there were so many uncertainties and frustrations and the cost as well, it's just time to say, 'We gave it a good shot and let's put it behind us."

By the end of 2000, the Village Cinemas brand had entered a number of new foreign markets, including Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.

Village Roadshow also began shedding a number of its other non-core operations at the time while giving greater focus to its film distribution and production arms which included more major co-productions with Warner Bros.[1] In late 2001, the company continued its international rationalisation, selling off its Swiss and Hungarian theatres.

[1] In early 2003, Burke and the Kirby brothers admitted that they saw Village Roadshow's future chiefly in film production, particularly given the seemingly saturated status of the exhibition market.

The Village brand and concepts were also acquired under licence with plans to open a nine-screen cinema the next month in Caballito, Buenos Aires continued under the new owners.

[27][28] In October 2008, the company entered the United States exhibition market by opening the first Village Roadshow Gold Class cinema in the wealthy Chicago suburb of South Barrington, followed by a second at Redmond, Washington.

The company signed up a total of 12 sites across the US, all in up-market shopping areas, including New York City and Seattle, with plans to grow to about 40 complexes within three to five years.

Like Gold Class cinemas in other countries, the US chain was targeting affluent movie goers willing to pay $US35 ($A43) a ticket for bigger chairs and the chance to order alcohol and gourmet food with their film.

managing director, Graham Burke, commented on luxury movie watching as a new concept for America, "we will be the first mover in that market."

The 10-screen multiplex (including one Vmax screen) was slated for a September 2012 opening, however (as of October 2013), obtaining information on its current operations have been unsuccessful thus far.

Village Roadshow released a statement, admitting to shareholders; "The financial performance of the Gold Class USA cinemas has been disappointing from the outset."

The chain was forced to temporarily close all cinemas across the country in early 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but reopened sites on 12 November 2020.

[2][3] Except the multiplexes at Jam Factory, Werribee Plaza, Geelong, and Morwell – they have different joint venture partners with Village Roadshow.

[46] The Peninsula Cinemas Group is also wholly owned by Village Roadshow Executive chairman, Robert Kirby, and his immediate family.

[48] Within Argentina, Village Cines was a joint venture between Southern Screens Entertainment II and Blue Ridge, based in the United States, and operated the brand under license from 2005 to 2018.

Within Greece, investment holding company, ANT1 Group, owns and operates all Village-branded entities including Village Cinemas under licence since 2022.

Gold Class Cinemas include cloakroom facilities, butlered refreshments, à la carte menu offerings and reclining seats.

In Melbourne, Rivoli Cinemas is used by Village as the main outlet for films with very limited screenings such as, Frances Ha and The Turning.

A retro 1950s style diner is also on site, which offers an SMS ordering service, which delivers food and drinks to your car.