Imax Update Blog & News

Imax reached 15 new Theaters JV in South Korea

2010-03-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

Imax agreed to form a joint venture with a South Korean theater exhibitor to operate up to 15 new theaters in the country as the giant-screen movie operator seeks to expand its presence in Asia.

The agreement with CJ CGV Co Ltd was signed following the success of the exhibitor's five existing Imax locations in South Korea, where the current 3D release of the blockbuster movie "Avatar" has generated more than $6.5 million, Imax said.

"It is a big market opportunity out there (in Asia) for the success of Imax," Craig-Hallum Capital analyst Mark Argento told Reuters by phone.

In December, Imax, known for digitally remastering Hollywood blockbusters, said it was in talks with at least five film companies in China. [ID:nTOE5B6073]

Some of the big movies last year created lot of incremental demand for Imax's products and the international market offers natural growth opportunities, the analyst said.

"We expect to see more type of such deals going forward," Argento said.

The deal with CJ CGV will add 10 new joint venture locations in the major cities in South Korea, and has an option to increase that number to 15.

Brigantine Advisors analyst Steven Frankel said Imax may not follow a similar pattern to expand in China.

"I think in China there isn't sufficient infrastructure around in reporting of box office receipts to form joint ventures. So, they have been selling equipments in China," Frankel said.

3D BOOST

Imax, which will report its fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday, said it has been seeing increasing demand in South Korea, and the rollout of its new locations is expected to begin later this year.

"We expect the company could grow in excess of 30 percent in 2010, which is a combination of more theaters, larger installed base of Imax theaters and better performance, more and more revenue growth at box office per theater," analyst Argento said.

Imax said that separately, CJ CGV will upgrade four of its existing Imax film-based locations to the company's digital projection system.

Source:Reuters

Imax 'Prince of Persia' May 28th International release

2010-03-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

Imax will release a supersized version of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" from Jerry Bruckheimer Films on May 28, simultaneously with Disney's wide theatrical release internationally.

Toronto-based Imax said the film, directed by Mike Newell and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, will be digitally remastered for a limited release on its international network of theaters.

The release marks Imax's first Jerry Bruckheimer film, and follows its successful release of Disney's 3D film "Alice in Wonderland" last weekend.

Here's the trailer for the movie "Prince of Persia"

The film's limited international IMAX release will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) with IMAX DMR(R) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

"Once again our expanded network of IMAX locations is enabling us to offer moviegoers around the world more compelling content ideally suited to The IMAX Experience," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "The success of our international theatre network is a key component of our growth, and we are delighted to secure this highly anticipated summer title for our international exhibitor partners."

"We're revved up that moviegoers throughout our international territories will have the opportunity to experience this epic adventure in IMAX theatres," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "Walt Disney Pictures is continuing to add blockbuster releases to our growing slate, and it's a particular treat with 'Prince of Persia' as it kicks off our relationship with hit maker Jerry Bruckheimer."

New Tron Legacy Trailer Video

2010-03-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Watch the new trailer of Tron Legacy here. The Tron Legacy trailer is available online today.

The Tron Legacy will release at the 3D theatres and IMAX 3D on December 17, 2010. Recently, Cindy Morgan's Tron Legacy trailer was referenced in theatres before Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Here's another trailer in HD quality

While the many moviegoers who saw Alice in Wonderland over the weekend got to see the Tron: Legacy trailer, a few hundred lucky fans saw the trailer early, at a special event held at IMAX theaters in five cities around the world.

In even rarer company were the select few who caught the trailer at the special event at L.A.'s The Bridge, where director Joseph Kosinski and Steven Lisberger, the co-writer and director of the original Tron, were on hand to conduct an impromptu Q&A about the 27-years-in-the-making sequel.

Alice in Wonderland 3D: Imax Locations List and Tickets

2010-03-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

IMAX today announced that Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen and Mia Wasikowska as Alice, will open in 188 domestic IMAX(R)theatres simultaneously with the film's wide release on March 5, 2010. The film will also open in 53 IMAX theatres internationally this weekend, and ultimately will play in 82 international IMAX theatres for a total of 270 IMAX runs, which marks a new record. The special IMAX(R) 3D release has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) with IMAX DMR(R) (Digital Re-Mastering) technology.

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"Alice in Wonderland combines the imagination of Tim Burton's creative vision with incredibly outrageous characters and world-class actors, making it a fantastic fit for The IMAX Experience," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "Disney has done a great job of making the IMAX release available to more IMAX theatres worldwide than ever before, giving more IMAX fans the opportunity to experience this very special movie event."

Alice In Wonderland: An IMAX 3D Experience is scheduled to play day-and-date at the following IMAX(R) Theatres beginning March 5.

UNITED STATES
Arizona
Glendale -- AMC Westgate 20 with IMAX
Mesa -- Dickinson Gateway 12 IMAX Theatre
Phoenix -- AMC Deer Valley 30 with IMAX
Phoenix -- AMC Desert Ridge 18 with IMAX
Tempe -- Harkins Arizona Mills IMAX
Arkansas
Little Rock -- Dickinson Chenal 9 IMAX Theatre
California
Alhambra -- Edwards Renaissance Stadium 14 & IMAX
Aliso Viejo -- Edwards Aliso Viejo Stadium 20 & IMAX
Arcadia -- AMC Santa Anita 16 & IMAX
Burbank -- AMC Burbank 30 & IMAX
Camarillo -- Edwards Camarillo Palace Stadium 12 & IMAX
Cathedral City -- Desert IMAX Theatre
Covina -- AMC Covina 30 with IMAX
Cupertino -- AMC Cupertino 16 & IMAX
Dublin -- Regal Hacienda Crossings Stadium 21 & IMAX
El Dorado Hills -- Regal Cinemas El Dorado Hills Stadium 14 & IMAX
Emeryville -- AMC Bay Street 16 & IMAX
Escondido -- Regal Escondido Stadium 16 & IMAX
Fairfield -- Edwards Fairfield Stadium 16 & IMAX
Fresno -- Fresno Stadium 21 & IMAX
Irvine -- Edwards Irvine Spectrum IMAX
Long Beach -- Edwards Long Beach 26 & IMAX
Los Angeles -- AMC Century City 15 & IMAX
Los Angeles -- IMAX Theatre at The Bridge: cinema de lux
Los Angeles -- AMC Universal CityWalk Stadium 19 with IMAX
National City -- AMC Plaza Bonita 14 & IMAX
Ontario -- Edwards Ontario Palace 22 & IMAX
Riverside - Tyler Galleria 16 with IMAX
Rowland Heights -- AMC Puente Hills 20 with IMAX
Sacramento -- Esquire IMAX
San Diego -- AMC Palm Promenade 24 & IMAX
San Diego -- Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18 & IMAX
San Jose -- AMC Eastridge Mall 15 & IMAX
Santa Clara -- AMC Mercado 20 & IMAX
Simi Valley -- Regal Civic Center Plaza 16 & IMAX
South Gate -- Edwards South Gate Stadium 20 & IMAX
Stockton -- Regal City Centre Stadium 16 & IMAX
Temecula -- Temecula Stadium15
Torrance -- AMC Del Amo 18 & IMAX
Woodland Hills -- AMC Promenade 16 & IMAX
Colorado
Colorado Springs -- Carefree Circle 16 & IMAX
Denver -- UA Colorado Center Stadium 8 & IMAX
Highlands Ranch -- AMC Highlands Ranch 24 & IMAX
Westminster -- AMC Orchard 12 & IMAX
Westminster -- AMC Westminster Promenade 24 & IMAX
Connecticut
Manchester -- Showcase Cinemas Buckland Hills IMAX
Florida
Altamonte Springs -- AMC Altamonte Mall 18 & IMAX
Aventura -- AMC Aventura 24 & IMAX
Fort Myers -- Regal Gulf Coast Town Center Stadium 16 & IMAX
Ft. Lauderdale -- AutoNation IMAX - MODS
Jacksonville -- AMC Regency 24 & IMAX
Oldsmar - Woodlands Square 20 with IMAX
Orange Park -- AMC Orange Park 24 & IMAX
Orlando - Loews Universal Cineplex 20 with IMAX
Orlando -- Regal Pointe Orlando Stadium 20 & IMAX
Orlando -- Regal Waterford Lakes Stadium 20 & IMAX
St. Petersburg -- Muvico Baywalk 19 & IMAX
South Miami -- AMC Sunset Place 24 & IMAX
Sunrise -- Regal Sawgrass Stadium 23 & IMAX
Tallahassee -- AMC Tallahassee Mall 20 with IMAX
Tampa -- AMC Veterans 24 & IMAX
West Palm Beach -- Muvico Parisian 20 & IMAX
Georgia
Augusta -- Regal Augusta Exchange Stadium 20 & IMAX
Buford -- Regal Mall Of Georgia Stadium 20 & IMAX
Kennesaw -- AMC Barrett Commons 24 & IMAX
Morrow -- AMC Southlake Pavilion 24 & IMAX
Hawaii
Honolulu -- Regal Dole Cannery 18 & IMAX
Idaho
Boise -- Edwards Boise Stadium 22 & IMAX
Illinois
Batavia -- Randall 15 IMAX
Chicago -- Navy Pier IMAX Theatre
Hodgkins -- Loews Quarry Cinemas 14 with IMAX
Lincolnshire -- Regal Lincolnshire Stadium 20 & IMAX
South Barrington -- AMC Barrington 30 with IMAX
Woodridge -- Cinemark 16 & IMAX
Indiana
Evansville - Showplace East 18 & IMAX
Indianapolis - Showplace 16 & IMAX
Noblesville - Hamilton 16 IMAX
Portage -- Portage 16 IMAX
Iowa
Council Bluffs -- Kerasotes Star Cinemas 16 & IMAX
Kansas
Olathe -- AMC Studio 30 & IMAX
Kentucky
Louisville -- Cinema de Lux 20: Stonybrook IMAX
Newport - Newport Levee 20 with IMAX
Louisiana
Harahan - Elmwood Palace 20 with IMAX

Maine
Saco -- Cinemagic & IMAX in Saco
Maryland
Baltimore -- AMC Loews White Marsh 16 & IMAX
Baltimore -- Maryland Science Center IMAX
Columbia -- AMC Columbia 14 & IMAX
Massachusetts
Danvers -- AMC Liberty Tree Mall 20 & IMAX
Methuen -- Loews Methuen 20 with IMAX
Natick -- Jordan's Furniture IMAX 3D Theatre
Reading -- Jordan's Furniture IMAX 3D Theatre
Michigan
Auburn Hills -- Star Great Lakes 25 with IMAX
Dearborn -- The Henry Ford IMAX
Grand Blanc -- NCG Trillium Cinema & IMAX
Grand Rapids -- Celebration! Grand Rapids North 17 & IMAX
Lansing -- Celebration! Lansing 19 & IMAX
Livonia -- Livonia 20
Sterling Heights -- AMC Forum 30 & IMAX
Ypsilanti -- Showcase Ann Arbor 20 IMAX
Minnesota
Apple Valley - Great Clips Imation IMAX
Edina -- AMC Southdale 16 with IMAX
Roseville -- AMC Rosedale 14 & IMAX
Missouri
Independence -- AMC Independence Commons 20 & IMAX
Kansas City -- AMC BarryWoods 24 & IMAX
St. Louis -- Wehrenberg Ronnies Cinemas 19 & IMAX
Nevada
Henderson -- Regal Sunset Station Stadium 13 & IMAX
Las Vegas -- Brenden Palms 13 & IMAX
Las Vegas -- Regal Red Rock Stadium 16 & IMAX
North Las Vegas -- Regal Aliante Stadium 16 & IMAX
New Hampshire
Hooksett -- Cinemagic & IMAX in Hooksett
New Jersey
Atlantic City -- IMAX Theatre at Tropicana
Cherry Hill -- AMC Loews Cherry Hill 24 with IMAX
Elizabeth -- AMC Jersey Gardens 20 with IMAX
Hamilton -- AMC Hamilton 24 with IMAX
New Brunswick -- Loews New Brunswick 18 with IMAX
Paramus -- AMC Garden State 16 with IMAX
Rockaway -- AMC Rockaway 16 with IMAX
New York
Albany -- Regal Crossgates Mall 18 & IMAX
Brooklyn -- Regal Sheepshead Bay 14 & IMAX
Deer Park - Deer Park Stadium 16 & IMAX
New Rochelle -- Regal New Roc City Stadium 18 & IMAX
New York City -- AMC Empire 25 with IMAX
New York City -- AMC Loews 34th Street 14 with IMAX
New York City -- AMC Loews Kips Bay 15 with IMAX
New York City -- AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 with IMAX
Rochester -- Cinemark Tinseltown 16 & IMAX
Stony Brook -- AMC Stony Brook 17 with IMAX
West Nyack -- IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center
White Plains -- City Center 15 IMAX
Williamsville -- Regal Transit Center Stadium 18 & IMAX

North Carolina
Charlotte -- Regal Stonecrest At Piper Glen Stadium 22 & IMAX
Concord -- AMC Concord Mills 24 & IMAX
Raleigh -- Wachovia IMAX Theatre
Ohio
Columbus -- AMC Easton Town Center 30 & IMAX
Columbus -- AMC Lennox Town Center 24 with IMAX
Springdale -- Springdale 18: Cinema de Lux IMAX
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City -- AMC Quail Springs 24
Tulsa -- Cinemark 17 & IMAX
Oregon
Tigard -- Regal Bridgeport Village Stadium 18 & IMAX
Pennsylvania
Bensalem -- AMC Neshaminy 24 & IMAX
Harrisburg -- IMAX Theatre at The Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts
Homestead -- AMC Waterfront 22 & IMAX
King of Prussia -- UA King of Prussia Stadium 16 & IMAX
Reading -- RC Reading Movies 11 & IMAX
Tarentum -- Cinemark Pittsburgh Mills Mall 17 & IMAX
Rhode Island
Providence -- Providence Place Cinemas 16 & IMAX
South Carolina
Charleston -- Citadel Mall IMAX Stadium 16
Tennessee
Knoxville -- Regal Pinnacle Stadium 18 at Turkey Creek
Nashville -- Regal Opry Mills 20 & IMAX
Texas
Austin -- IMAX Theatre at Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
Dallas -- Cinemark 17 & IMAX
Frisco -- AMC Stonebriar 24 with IMAX
Garland -- AMC Firewheel 18 & IMAX
Houston -- AMC Gulf Pointe 30 & IMAX
Houston -- Edwards Houston Marq*e 23 & IMAX
Mesquite -- AMC Mesquite 30 & IMAX
San Antonio -- IMAX 3D Theatre at San Antonio Rivercenter
San Antonio -- Santikos Palladium 18 IMAX Theatre
Sugar Land -- AMC First Colony 24 & IMAX
Tomball -- Santikos Silverado 19 IMAX
Utah
Sandy --- Jordan Commons 16 & IMAX
Virginia
Alexandria -- AMC Hoffman Center 22 & IMAX
Hampton -- AMC Hampton Towne Centre 24 with IMAX
Hampton -- VASC IMAX Theatre
McLean -- AMC Tysons Corner 16 with IMAX
Midlothian -- Regal Commonwealth 20 & IMAX
Virginia Beach -- AMC Lynnhaven 18 & IMAX
Woodbridge -- AMC Potomac Mills 18 & IMAX
Washington
Bellevue -- Lincoln Square Cinemas IMAX Theatre
Kent -- AMC Kent Station 14 with IMAX
Lacey -- Regal Martin Village Stadium 16 & IMAX
Seattle -- Boeing IMAX -- Pacific Science Center
Seattle -- Regal Thornton Place Stadium 14 & IMAX
Spokane -- AMC River Park Square 20 with IMAX
Tukwila -- AMC Southcenter 16 & IMAX
Wisconsin
Fitchburg -- Kerasotes Star 18 & IMAX
Wauwatosa -- Mayfair Mall 18 with IMAX

CANADA
Alberta
Calgary -- Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Chinook IMAX Theatre
Edmonton -- Cineplex Scotiabank West Edmonton Mall IMAX Theatre
British Columbia
Langley -- Cineplex Colossus Langley IMAX Theatre
Richmond -- Cineplex SilverCity Riverport IMAX Theatre
Nova Scotia
Halifax -- Empire 17 & IMAX Theatre
Ontario
Gloucester -- Cineplex SilverCity Gloucester IMAX Theatre
Mississauga -- Cineplex Coliseum Mississauga IMAX Theatre
Toronto -- Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Toronto & IMAX
Woodbridge -- Cineplex Colossus Woodbridge IMAX Theatre
Quebec
Montreal -- Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Montreal IMAX Theatre
Quebec City -- Galeries de la Capitale IMAX

INTERNATIONAL
Argentina
Buenos Aires -- IMAX Showcase Norte^
Australia
Melbourne -- Highpoint Hoyts IMAX^
Melbourne -- Melbourne Museum IMAX^
Perth -- Carousel Hoyts IMAX^
Sydney -- Entertainment Quarter Hoyts IMAX^
Sydney --- LG IMAX Theatre Sydney^
Austria
Graz -- Cineplexx 8055 Graz^
Vienna -- Cineplexx Apollo Das Kino^
Brazil
Curitiba -- Palladium Shopping Center IMAX*
Sao Paolo -- Bourbon Shopping Center Espaco Unibanco Pompeia IMAX*
Bulgaria
Sofia -- Mtel IMAX
China
Beijing -- China National Film Museum
Beijing -- Shijingshan Wanda IMAX
Beijing -- SUC Beijing UME IMAX
Changchun -- Wanda Changchun IMAX Cinema
Changsha -- Wanda Changsha IMAX Cinema
Chongqing -- Chongqing Science and Technology Museum IMAX*
Dongguan -- Wanda Dongguan IMAX Cinema
Kunming -- Broadway IMAX Theatre
Shanghai -- Shanghai Peace IMAX
Suzhou -- Suzhou Science & Cultural Arts Center IMAX*
Tianjin -- China Film Cinema IMAX Theatre
Wuhan -- Studio City Wuhan IMAX
Wuxi -- Big World IMAX Cinema
Columbia
Bogota -- IMAX Theatre Plaza de las Americas
Costa Rica
San Jose -- Centro Comercial Avenida Escazu Cine IMAX
Czech Republic
Prague -- Oskar IMAX Palace Flora^
France
Paris -- Gaumont Disney Village IMAX*
Guatemala
Guatemala City -- Pradera Concepcion
Hong Kong
Kowloon -- UA MegaBox IMAX Theatre^
Hungary
Budapest -- Cinema City Arena IMAX Hungary^
India
Hyderabad -- Prasad IMAX Theatre*
Mumbai -- Big Cinemas IMAX Theatre*
Japan
Kanagawa -- 109 Cinemas Kawasaki*
Minoh -- 109 Cinemas Minoh*
Nagoya -- 109 Cinemas Nagoya*
Saitama -- 109 Cinemas Shobu*
Korea
Gwangju -- CGV Gwangju^
Seoul - CGV Wangsipni^
Seoul -- CGV Yongsan^
Kuwait
Safat -- Kuwait National Cinema Company Cinescape 360 IMAX^
Mexico
Cuernavaca -- Cinemex Diana IMAX
Guadalajara -- Cinepolis Galerias
Juarez -- Cinepolis Las Misiones Cd. Juarez IMAX Theatre
Mexico City -- Cinepolis Perisur IMAX Theatre
Mexico City -- Cinepolis Universidad IMAX Theatre
Mexico City -- Megapantalla IMAX, Papalote Museo Interactivo Infantil
Monterrey -- Galerias Valle Oriente
Toluca -- Cinepolis Galerias Metepec IMAX Theatre
Netherlands
Amsterdam -- Pathe Arena IMAX
Eindhoven -- Pathe Eindhoven IMAX*
Rotterdam -- Pathe Schouwburgplein IMAX
New Zealand
Auckland -- SKYCITY IMAX Queen Street^
Philippines
Manila -- SM City North Edsa Mall IMAX^
Poland
Katowice -- Orange IMAX Katowice
Krakow -- Orange IMAX Krakow
Lodz -- Orange IMAX Manufaktura
Poznan -- Poznan IMAX
Warsaw -- Orange IMAX Sabyda
Qatar
Doha -- Villagio Shopping Mall IMAX*
Romania
Bucharest -- Cinema City IMAX Bucharest
Russia
Moscow -- KinoStar City @ Mega Belaya Dacha^
Moscow -- Coca-Cola IMAX KinoStar De Lux Teply Stan^
Moscow -- Nescafe IMAX^
St. Petersburg -- Coca-Cola IMAX Kinostar City^
Ufa -- IMAX Iskra Theatre^
Spain
Barakaldo -- Yelmo Megapark IMAX*
Barcelona -- Port Vell IMAX*
Madrid -- Madrid IMAX*
Malaga -- Yelmo Plaza Mayor IMAX*
Oviedo -- Yelmo Los Prados IMAX*
Taiwan
Taipei -- Samsung IMAX Theatre Miramar Cinema*
Taipei -- Viewshow Cinemas Taipei Sun IMAX*
Thailand
Bangkok -- KrungSri IMAX Siam Paragon^
Ukraine
Kiev -- Utel IMAX Theatre*
United Kingdom
Birmingham -- Birmingham IMAX Millennium Point
Bradford -- National Media Museum IMAX Bradford
Cardiff -- Odeon Cardiff IMAX Cinema
Gateshead -- Odeon Metrocentre IMAX Cinema
Glasgow -- Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema
Greenwich -- Odeon Greenwich IMAX Cinema
London -- BFI London IMAX Cinema
Manchester -- Manchester IMAX @ The Printworks
Wimbledon -- Odeon Wimbledon IMAX Cinema

^ denotes earlier launch
*denotes later launch

Avatar Imax reach 200 million Worldwide Box Office

2010-02-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

IMAX Corporation and Twentieth Century Fox today announced that James Cameron's Avatar, recipient of Golden Globe(R) awards for Best Picture and Best Director as well as nine Academy Award(R) nominations, has crossed the $200 million mark at IMAX(R) theatres worldwide during the weekend from Friday, February 19, 2010 through Sunday, February 21. During its 10th weekend, the film grossed $4.3 million from 179 IMAX theatres domestically, representing approximately 27% of the film's total domestic three-day weekend gross of $16.2 million. Internationally, the IMAX release grossed $3.9 million from 84 IMAX theatres, bringing the weekend's global IMAX total to approximately $8.2 million and the film's overall IMAX global total to more than $200 million.

"This incredible milestone not only reflects the mass appeal of watching Avatar in IMAX, it also reflects the significant expansion of our global audience base," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "Avatar was a perfect fit for IMAX and the type of event title IMAX fans and exhibitors embrace. We look forward to growing our audience even more as we continue to expand the IMAX network and offer moviegoers more of Hollywood's biggest films."

The IMAX release has delivered particularly strong performances across the international IMAX theatre network. In the Asia-Pacific market, the IMAX network has generated approximately $43 million from 38 screens, with 20 IMAX screens in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Australia, each surpassing the $1 million mark.

In the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, the IMAX release generated more than $32 million from 35 screens, many of which surpassed the $1 million mark. Some IMAX locations have more than doubled that milestone, including Moscow's Nescafe IMAX Theatre, which has reported approximately $3 million in gross box office receipts from its single IMAX screen, and the BFI IMAX in London, which reported more than $2.3 from its single IMAX screen.

"The combination of James Cameron's revolutionary film and the enhanced image and sound of The IMAX Experience(R) has clearly resonated with Avatar fans around the world," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We reached this milestone thanks to the strong word of mouth about the experience of watching Avatar in IMAX, and the hard work of all of those at Lightstorm, Twentieth Century Fox, IMAX and our global exhibition partners."

"Many exhibitors in domestic and international markets have pushed the boundaries of their operations to accommodate the high demand to experience this amazing movie in IMAX," added Phil Groves, IMAX's Senior Vice President, Film Distribution. "Many locations are still seeing strong business from extended show time schedules."

Avatar is directed and written by Academy Award Winner James Cameron and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. Avatar has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R).

Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron's return to feature directing since helming 1997's Titanic, the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars(R) including Best Picture. WETA Digital, renowned for its work in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and King Kong, has incorporated new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.

Avatar Breaks ‘Titanic’ International Record

2010-01-25T00:04:00.000-08:00

The international portion of Avatar box office stands at $1.288 billion, eclipsing the all time record $1.242 billion haul of “Titanic.”

In North America, “Avatar” may have to wait up to two weeks to sink the $601 million total of “Titanic,” Fox said. Moviegoers in the United States and Canada have chipped in $552.8 million, enough to replace 2008’s “The Dark Knight” ($533 million) as the second-biggest movie of all time.

During the latest weekend, “Avatar” earned $36 million in North America and $107 million from 111 international markets, far outpacing other offerings.

It led the field in at least 29 foreign markets, including France ($123 million to date), China ($102 million), Germany ($96 million), Russia ($95 million) and Britain ($93 million).

IMAX Dominates 3D Box Office With Avatar

2010-01-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES, Jan 19, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- IMAX Corporation (Nasdaq:IMAX) (TSX:IMX) and Twentieth Century Fox today announced that James Cameron's Avatar, which just received Golden Globe(R) awards for Best Picture and Best Director,continued to deliver strong box office results in IMAX(R) theatres during the four-day weekend from Friday, January 15 through Monday, January 18. The IMAX release grossed $9.6 million from 179 IMAX theatres domestically, representing 17.7% of the film's total domestic four-day weekend gross of $55 million on less than 2% of the screens. Internationally, the IMAX release grossed $5.6 million from 83 IMAX theatres, bringing the four-day weekend's global IMAX total to approximately $15.3 million and the film's overall IMAX global total to more than $116.4 million.

Avatar is directed and written by Academy Award Winner James Cameron and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. Avatar has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R).

James Cameron confirms Avatar Sequel

2010-01-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

According to a report (via AICN) from a very recent Q&A with James Cameron, the man himself did indeed admit: "Yes, there'll be another."

Unfortunately that's pretty much all Cameron said. The report from the Q&A is a bit vague, but they say that Cameron said "to expect the studio to want another one" and that, obviously, "a second film will be easier, as the technology now exists, thanks to the [first] movie." As in, half the reason Avatar took so long is they had to invent the technology used in it. Cameron also stated that "the plan had always been to make a trilogy of films. So there you have it, there will be another Avatar. But will James Cameron direct it?

Avatar: the 2nd All Time Box Office in 20 Days!

2010-01-08T02:43:00.000-08:00

Avatar has officially become number two grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office, passing $1.14 billion on Wednesday.

Cameron's next challenge is to beat the records set by his previous film, 1997 disaster romance 'Titanic', which continues to rule the No 1 spot with $1.8 billion.

Avatar's domestic earning was $374.4 million through Wednesday and the foreign haul collected $760.9 million to beat the $1.1 billion scored by 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King', the Variety reported online.

The film, which released worldwide on December 18, is expected to continue to make money as it enters into the fourth week.

Source:Boncherry

Discovery, Sony, and Imax will Launches 3D Tv Channel

2010-01-06T13:15:00.001-08:00

Discovery, Sony, and Imax gave a major boost on Tuesday to the new drive to popularize the forthcoming generation of 3D television sets. They signed a letter of intent to forge a joint venture and create the USA's first full-time cable channel that will exclusively offer 3D programming. It could launch by the end of the year.

The channel initially will feature lots of shows about science and nature, much of it from Discovery's and Imax's libraries. But the partners plan to license TV rights to general entertainment 3D movies, music videos, and game-related content.

"We'll be shooting some of our new (shows) in 3D and upconverting some of our existing content" from conventional 2D to 3D, Discovery CEO David Zaslav says. "And Sony's movie group, TV group, and music group are all beginning to develop content in 3D."

James Cameron "Avatar" Breaks Imax Box Office Records

2009-12-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

"The worldwide IMAX network was operating at near full capacity throughout the entire weekend," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "This success is a testament to the groundbreaking work of James Cameron and his team, who have raised the bar for storytelling and truly transported us into another world."

LOS ANGELES — IMAX Corp. said Monday the film "Avatar" made $9.5 million in box office ticket sales during its opening weekend in 178 of its theaters in the U.S.

"Avatar," a science fiction thriller directed by James Cameron and released by News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, took in roughly 13 percent of the total sales in IMAX theaters, the company said. Total domestic sales came to $73 million.

The movie made another $4.1 million internationally on 58 screens, IMAX said. IMAX plans to release the film in 25 more locations in the next few weeks, including theaters in China and Japan.

"From the very beginning, James Cameron considered how the film would look and feel in IMAX, and as a result, Jim, Jon Landau and the Lightstorm team have produced a spectacular film that moviegoers are clearly reacting to with enthusiasm and strong word of mouth," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "Cameron's incredible vision and passion for pushing the technological boundaries of filmmaking, combined with a superb marketing and distribution campaign from Twentieth Century Fox has created an epic release that we are very proud to be a part of. We look forward to transporting more moviegoers to Pandora via The IMAX 3D Experience in the weeks ahead."

Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron's return to feature directing since helming 1997's Titanic, the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars(R) including Best Picture. WETA Digital, renowned for its work in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and King Kong, will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.

Avatar Imax 3D Tickets on Sale Now

2009-12-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

Avatar: An IMAX 3D Experience will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology. With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view, IMAX provides the world's most immersive movie experience.

The director of Titanic takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love -- as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization in this epic action adventure fantasy. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, Avatar breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the moviegoing experience.

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A Christmas Carol: The 3D IMAX Experience (2009)

2009-11-20T14:31:00.002-08:00

A Christmas Carol is, above all else, an astounding visual experience. Other studios either use 3D to enhance already superior films or attempt to hide mediocrity. Robert Zemeckis stands nearly alone is using this newfangled version of old-fashioned technology to push the boundaries of 'immersion'. Like The Polar Express in 2004 and Beowulf in 2007, A Christmas Carol is not simply a movie to be seen, but rather to experience. If the film is not as haunting and thrilling as Beowulf or as intoxicating as Henry Selick's more surreal Coraline, this still sets new marks for realism in the painted world. Zemeckis's artists and performers have partnered stunningly lifelike animation (there are no 'dead eyes' this time) with at once astonishing and invisible 3D effects work, creating the illusion of living inside a movie better than anything I've yet experienced.

Where the Wild Things Are: The IMAX Experience

2009-11-20T14:31:00.001-08:00

It is often said that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a children's novel that adults can enjoy, while The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an adult novel that children can enjoy. This statement in itself constitutes a form of elitism. Just because Huck Finn is a better, richer novel than Tom Sawyer, it must be presumed that the second story must not have been truly intended for children. This idea rears its ugly head in the discussion of family films as well, as poorly made family films are often labeled 'just for kids', while superior family entertainment is often accused of being secretly made for adults. The very idea of high-quality entertainment that is specifically directed at children seems to be some kind of oxymoron in the critical community. I have no idea for whom Spike Jonze crafted Where the Wild Things Are, but the film is a very much a high-quality children's movie.

Imax Role on The Evolution of Cinema

2009-11-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

IMAX is one such advancement in films that has transformed the cinema-going experience to create much larger screens with higher resolution movies being projected onto them. Film shot for IMAX is shot on larger 65 mm film which is then run through the camera horizontally. This means that the IMAX film image is 69.6 mm wide and 48.5 mm tall, instead of the normal 48.5 mm wide and 22.1 mm tall.

The film is then run through the camera three times as quickly in order for it to be exposed at 24 frames per second.

Several films these days contain scenes that have been shot specifically for display on IMAX, such as the new Transformers sequel, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, which features three scenes shot for IMAX.

The film is then run through the camera three times as quickly in order for it to be exposed at 24 frames per second.

Several films these days contain scenes that have been shot specifically for display on IMAX, such as the new Transformers sequel, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, which features three scenes shot for IMAX.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Hot Ticket Sales

2009-06-19T04:08:00.000-07:00

The following is the statement released by MovieTickets.com:

As of today, U.S. ticket sales at MovieTickets.com for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” are outpacing ticket sales for “Transformers” by almost 3-to-1 at the same point in the sales cycle – eight days prior to each film’s release.

Interestingly, IMAX ticket sales at MovieTickets.com for “Transformers 2” account for close to half of all ticket sales for the film.

The film, a sequel to the "Transformers" movie that grossed $319 million at the U.S. box office in 2007, opens next week in theaters and also on the 50-foot IMAX screen at the Air & Space Center in Downtown Hampton.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is scheduled to open on Wednesday in cinemas as well as on IMAX.

Star Trek breaking Imax record

2009-05-12T03:25:00.000-07:00

IMAX announces that Trek made $9.6 million worldwide in IMAX over opening weekend. Trek grossed $8.5 million from 138 IMAX theatres domestically, a per screen average of approximately $62,000 for the weekend, marking the highest grossing Friday, Saturday and Sunday ever for an IMAX opening.

IMAX’s domestic opening contributed 11% of the hit film’s overall domestic box office gross of $79.2 million on less than 2% of the screens. The IMAX release also broke records internationally, generating more than $1.1 million from 25 IMAX screens, for a per screen average of $44,000.

Star Trek Opening in IMAX Nationwide Today!

2009-05-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

Paramount Star Trek predicted to earn opening box office weekend of $70-75 Million.

The greatest adventure of all time begins with “Star Trek,” the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. Use the Fandango Coupon 2 for 1 to save your money on ticket!

Review by Craveonline
From Star Fleet Academy, to the alien landscapes, to the beautiful effects, each was greatly enhanced by the IMAX experience which gave an overbearing presence to the already behemoth renegade Romulan ship Narada and its captain Nero (the film’s antagonist portrayed by Eric Bana). The scale for everything seems so grand when watched in this format, from the Federation ship yard to the space dog fights. Although the effects were breathe taking the close combat felt confined and Closter phobic, luckily there is very of these scenes.

Fandango’s ticket sales were for Star Trek! The movie has already sold out hundreds of opening weekend show times across the country, including show times in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and much more.

Imax Sees Profitable 2009 After 1Q earning

2009-05-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

IMAX Corp. today reported total revenues of $33.7 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2009, a 43% increase compared to total revenues of $23.5 million for the first quarter of 2008. Operating income increased to $2.0 million, a $7.6 million increase compared to last year's operating loss of $5.6 million. The Company's first quarter net loss per diluted share of $0.06 compares favorably to the net loss per diluted share of $0.25 for the first quarter of fiscal 2008.

IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond stated, "We have often said that our introduction of digital and our joint revenue sharing initiative would yield improved financial results and we believe the first quarter reflects early progress towards this goal. Our highest level of sales-type lease system installs in over two years, the continued rapid growth of our joint revenue sharing theater network and our focus on cost containment were the primary drivers of our improved performance. We are particularly encouraged by our performance given that the first full-length new IMAX DMR release did not occur until Warner Bros.' WATCHMEN opened in March, the last month of the quarter. Given the early success of our digital roll-out, our strong line-up of film product and our focus on cost containment, we continue to believe that we should achieve strong revenue growth and return to profitability in 2009."

IMAX systems revenue increased over 100% to $16.5 million versus $8.2 million in the prior year period. The Company installed and recognized revenue on nine theatre systems that qualified as either sales or sales-type leases in the first quarter of 2009 (including three digital upgrades), compared to four in 2008. Revenue from joint revenue sharing arrangements increased nearly six-fold to $1.9 million, compared to $0.3 million last year. The company installed 22 new systems under joint revenue sharing arrangements (including five digital upgrades of theatres under joint revenue sharing arrangements) in the first quarter of 2009, compared to zero in the year ago period.

For the first quarter of 2009, film revenue increased 6% to $7.8 million, compared to $7.4 million in the first quarter of 2008. This included production and IMAX DMR revenues of $3.7 million compared to $2.9 million a year ago.

Gelfond continued, "On the film side, WATCHMEN: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE delivered a domestic per screen average of approximately $92,000 and MONSTERS VS. ALIENS: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE has grossed an average of $126,000 per screen in IMAX theatres to date, outpacing both the 2D and other 3D versions of the film on a per screen basis. We are very encouraged that, in these challenging economic times, consumers are continuing to embrace The IMAX Experience."

Looking ahead to the remainder of the 2009 film slate, STAR TREK: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE (Paramount Pictures), will be released to 167 IMAX theaters today at 7:00 PM for a two-week limited engagement, followed by NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE (Twentieth Century Fox, May 22, 2009); TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE (Paramount Pictures, June 2009); HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (WB, July 2009); DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (Walt Disney Pictures and ImageMovers Digital, November 2009); and JAMES CAMERON'S AVATAR: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (Twentieth Century Fox, December 2009). The company believes it will also have an additional DMR title in the fall.

Buy One Get One Free Fandango Movie Tickets by Visa

2009-05-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Buy 1 movie ticket on Fandango and receive a second ticket to the same show free when you use your Visa Signature card.

This is HOT!!! Save money on IMAX movie tickets.
This offer is valid from May 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010, while supplies last. Free ticket valued up to $13.50, including a convenience charge

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Star Trek tickets on Sale Now!

2009-04-22T01:10:00.001-07:00

TOP THEATER CHAINS TO START SELLING “STAR TREK” EARLY SHOW TICKETS STARTING THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 17

May 7 Tickets Will Be Pre-Sold by AMC Theatres, National Amusements, Pacific/ArcLight, Regal & other theatre circuits

HOLLYWOOD, CA (April 16, 2009) –Starting Friday, April 17, many of the nation’s top theater chains will start offering early show tickets for Bad Robot’s production of J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek,” presented by Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment. The tickets are for May 7 evening performances of the film, which debuts worldwide on May 8, 2009. Participating chains include AMC Theatres, National Amusements, Pacific/ArcLight and the Regal Entertainment Group, among others. Additional theatre chains will offer advance tickets in the coming week.

The greatest adventure of all time begins with “Star Trek,” the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.

Monsters vs. Aliens is a box office smash for IMAX

2009-04-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

the animated movie Monsters vs. Aliens scored the biggest opening weekend for a 3-D film and gave studio DreamWorks Animation SKG the biggest weekend debut of 2009.

But that was nothing compared to what the movie did for IMAX Corp., the entertainment technology company that used to be known mainly for showing nature films on giant screens at local museums.

Monsters vs. Aliens debuted on 143 IMAX 3-D screens and instantly provided evidence that the struggling company is on the path toward a turnaround.

Collecting $5.1 million in domestic box office revenue, IMAX accounted for 9% of the movie's gross on just 2% of screens. And Monsters was the specialty exhibitor's second smash in a row: IMAX delivered 10% of domestic box-office for Watchmen when the graphic novel adaptation debuted earlier in the month.

AMC offers free popcorn with IMAX ticket purchase

2009-03-04T23:29:00.001-08:00

AMC Theatres is offering a free large popcorn with the purchase of a ticket to Watchmen: The IMAX Experience in one of their IMAX screens.

Directed by Zack Snyder, the film is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society. The film opens this Friday on conventional and IMAX screens.

Watchmen Imax tickets gone in a hurry

2009-03-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

Imax today announced that Watchmen, Zack Snyder's highly anticipated film based on the popular graphic novel will open in 124 IMAX® theatres domestically on March 6, 2009, simultaneously with the film's wide release. The film will also open in 29 IMAX theatres internationally on the same date. Strong advance ticket sales have already been reported and many IMAX theatres are selling out shows through the opening weekend.

- Advance IMAX ticket sales are approaching $2 million with 2 days still
to go
- More than 100 IMAX shows already sold out
- All 124 domestic IMAX theatres have added midnight screenings
- Several domestic IMAX theatres are adding 3am shows to meet the demand
- Chicago's Navy Pier IMAX theatre has sold out nearly every show for
the weekend, with tickets already sold for 3am and 7am shows.
- IMAX.com is experiencing increased traffic as visitors turn to the
site to purchase advance tickets, download trailers and access the new
film widget.
- On MovieTickets.com, IMAX ticket sales account for one-third of all
Watchmen sales.

The Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience

2009-02-06T02:20:00.000-08:00

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX) today announced that the highly anticipated The Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, directed by Bruce Hendricks (Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour), will be released for a one week engagement in select IMAX(R) 3D theatres, simultaneously with the film's wide release in 3D on February 27, 2009. The IMAX(R) 3D release will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) with IMAX DMR(R) (Digital Re-Mastering) technology.

Commenting on the announcement, Mark Zoradi, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group, said, "Seeing the Disney Digital 3D(TM) Jonas Bros film in IMAX 3D is the ultimate way to experience the excitement and exhilaration of the group's sensational 'Burning Up Tour.' The Disney Digital 3D(TM) experience gives moviegoers a whole new appreciation for the music, performances, and personalities of the incredibly popular Jonas Brothers. This special limited engagement IMAX 3D presentation combines the company's world-famous surround sound with impressive imagery to supercharge the concert experience, and take it to a whole new level of entertainment."

"Our ability to add this exciting limited engagement to our 2009 lineup was made possible thanks to the successful rollout of our IMAX digital projection system, which gives IMAX, exhibitors and studios increased program flexibility," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "We're very happy to be expanding our relationship with Disney and we look forward to bringing together our two great brands to deliver a very special and immersive movie experience for Jonas Brothers fans."

"We're delighted to be a part of Disney's next big 3D film event and this special one-week run is a great way to jump-start the five-picture deal our companies announced last year," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "With IMAX's amazing digital sound and crystal-clear images, The IMAX 3D Experience(R) will transport moviegoers and fans on to the stage with the Jonas Brothers and into their high energy performance."

This high-energy Walt Disney Pictures rockumentary 3D feature film event from director Bruce Hendricks ("Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour"), blends excerpts from the Brothers' red-hot "Burning Up" concert tour, including guest performances from Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift. The film also includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, off-the-wall segments, a never-before-heard song ("Love Is On Its Way"), swarming fans and a lot of JB-style humor-giving fans never-before-seen insights into the lives of Kevin, Joe and Nick.

SOURCE IMAX Corporation

New ‘Watchmen’ Poster Released For IMAX

2009-02-02T16:22:00.001-08:00

In Recession, Imax Shines

2009-02-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

The key to Imax's weathering the economic storm has been its transition from a film-based platform to digital and to a business that relies on joint ventures as opposed to sales.

Imax will go from 150 commercial theaters showing Hollywood blockbusters on giant screens to 350 in the next three years. Each projector costs Imax about $500,000, while theater owners contribute $150,000.

But Imax gets a 12.5 percent cut of box-office grosses, so cash flow from earlier screens are paying for the installation of future ones. Plus, a $50 million financing package already in place is especially helpful during the current credit crunch.

"KNIGHT'S" HEROIC PERFORMANCE

Having "The Dark Knight" in its corner has helped as well. The second most commercially successful title in global film history has racked up $63 million in ticket sales at 130 Imax screens, not counting the current re-release of the Batman feature. That's an Imax record for a Hollywood blockbuster.

Barring a drop-off in theater attendance, this year ought to be a stellar one for Imax, with potential giant-screen hits "Watchmen," "Star Trek," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Avatar," among others.

Coming to Imax in March is "Monsters vs. Aliens" from DreamWorks Animation, another business doing well despite the economy.

Unlike many of the major studio conglomerates, which are invested heavily in the television station business, "DWA has zero advertising exposure," says Steve Birenberg of Northlake Capital Management.

"Earnings should be flat to higher in 2009," Birenberg says of DWA. "Very few other media companies can come anywhere near to flat in 2009."

Plus, DWA and Imax hold key stakes in one of the more bullish areas in the entertainment industry: 3-D movies.

A 60-page report issued in January by Piper Jaffray says 3-D upgrades could help the exhibition business buck a recession into 2010 and 2011. Such theater chains as Regal, Cinemark and Carmike stand to benefit significantly from transitioning as many as 20 percent of their theaters to the format.

Some 3D Projects Noted:
Of the 40 planned 3D projects, a few of them you may have already heard of:

There’s already been Journey to the Center of the Earth, the previously mentioned Disney’s Pixar computer-animated film Monsters vs. Aliens which is due out next March and James Cameron’s Avatar.

Journey to the Center of the Earth was the first ever live-action film that’s been shot entirely in 3D, but it also had a 2D version out. Pixar studio is now making all of its computer-animated films in 3D.

On top of that, in the “Is Nothing Sacred” category, Disney’s Pixar is redoing Toy Story (I & II) in 3D, and George Lucas is hoping to keep his Star Wars franchise alive by redoing that in 3D.

The Home Viewing Industry:
With the home viewing industry being a nearly $36 billion industry, some big names are looking at how to get 3D into your home. Some of the companies include Disney, Universal, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Thomson and IMAX.

Some sports telecasts have already taken place in 3D and there’s a push to develop TVs where you won’t need glasses at all. (That confuses all three of me.)

The idea is that since Hi-Def made such an impact, 3D HD will be even bigger. Right now we already have some 3D products in the home. An estimated 1 million 3D-ready HDTVs made by Mitsubishi and Samsung are already in U.S. homes. The basic concept from the Philips brand is to place a lens over the screen to create the effect.

NFL asks The Arizona Science Center IMAX to cancel Super Bowl

2009-01-28T18:27:00.000-08:00

Although this is not a nationwide event, but watching live sports or concert events on Imax would be spectacular !

"Want to watch the Super Bowl on a really big screen?The Arizona Science Center had planned to broadcast the game in its five-story IMAX theater, but NFL officials have apparently asked them to cancel the event.In the past, NFL policy has prohibited other mass viewings, citing copyright laws, particularly with the Super Bowl, which is watched by millions on TV.Entry into the theater was going to be free with the price of general admission to the center. "

Source:Abc

‘The Dark Knight’ IMAX Re-Screening Locations

2009-01-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

"The Dark Knight" will be re-released Jan. 23 in theatres and in the IMAX format, a day after the Academy Award nominations are announced. See Dark Knight in IMAX. Buy tickets now!

UNITED STATES

Arizona

Mesa - Gateway 12 IMAX Theatre
Phoenix - AMC Deer Valley 30 with IMAX
Tempe - IMAX Theatre at Arizona Mills

Arkansas

Little Rock - Chenal 9 IMAX Theatre

California

Anaheim - The Movie Experience 14 at Anaheim Gardenwalk
Arcadia - AMC Santa Anita 16 & IMAX
Burbank - AMC Burbank 16 & IMAX
Cathedral City - Desert IMAX Theatre
Dublin - Regal Hacienda Crossings Stadium 21 & IMAX
Emeryville - AMC Bay Street 16 & IMAX
Fresno - Edwards Fresno Stadium 22 & IMAX
Irvine - Edwards Irvine Spectrum IMAX
Los Angeles - AMC Century City 15 & IMAX
Los Angeles - AMC Universal CityWalk Stadium 19 with IMAX
Los Angeles - IMAX Theatre at The Bridge: cinema de lux

Monterey - Cannery Row IMAX Theatre
Ontario - Edwards Ontario Palace 22 & IMAX
Sacramento - Edwards Fairfield Stadium 16 & IMAX
Sacramento - Esquire IMAX Theatre
Sacramento - Regal Cinemas El Dorado Hills Stadium 14 & IMAX
San Diego - Mira Mesa Stadium 18 & IMAX
San Jose - AMC Eastridge Mall 15 & IMAX
San Francisco - AMC Loews Metreon 16 with IMAX
Simi Valley - Civic Center Stadium 16 & IMAX
Stockton - Regal City Centre Stadium 16 & IMAX
Torrance - AMC Del Amo 18 & IMAX

Colorado

Colorado Springs - Cinemark Carefree Circle IMAX Theatre
Denver - UA Colorado Center Stadium 9 & IMAX
Westminster - AMC Orchards of Westminster 12 & IMAX

Connecticut

Manchester - IMAX Theatre at Showcase Cinemas Buckland Hills
Norwalk - IMAX Theatre at The Maritime Aquarium

Florida

Altamonte Springs - AMC Altamonte Mall 18 & IMAX
Aventura - AMC Aventura 24 & IMAX
Fort Lauderdale - AutoNation® IMAX® Theater at Museum of Discovery
and Science
Fort Myers - Regal Gulf Coast Town Center Stadium 16 & IMAX
Jacksonville - AMC Regency 24 & IMAX
Orange Park - AMC Orange Park 24 & IMAX
Orlando - Pointe Orlando 20 & IMAX
St. Augustine - World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX Theatre
St. Petersburg - Muvico Baywalk 20 & IMAX
Tallahassee - IMAX Theatre at the Challenger Learning Center
Tampa - AMC Veterans 24 & IMAX
Tampa - Channelside Cinemas IMAX
Tampa - IMAX Dome Theatre at MOSI
West Palm Beach - Muvico Parisian 20 & IMAX

Georgia

Augusta - Augusta Exchange Stadium 20 & IMAX
Buford - Regal Mall of Georgia Stadium 20 & IMAX

Idaho

Boise - Edwards Boise Stadium 22 & IMAX

Illinois

Batavia - Randall 15 IMAX
Chicago - Navy Pier IMAX Theatre
Lincolnshire - Regal Lincolnshire 20 & IMAX
Woodridge - Cinemark Seven Bridges IMAX Theatre

Indiana

Evansville - IMAX Theatre at Showplace Cinemas East 18
Indianapolis - IMAX Theatre at the Indiana State Museum

Indianapolis - Kerasotes ShowPlace 16 & IMAX
Noblesville - Hamilton Towne Center 16 + IMAX
Portage - Portage 16 IMAX

Iowa

Davenport - Putnam Museum and IMAX Theatre
Des Moines - Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater

Kansas

Olathe - AMC Studio 30 & IMAX

Kentucky

Louisville - IMAX Cinema De Lux 20: Stonybrook

Louisiana

Harahan - AMC Elmwood Palace 20 & IMAX
New Orleans - Entergy IMAX Theatre, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

Maryland

Baltimore - AMC Loews White Marsh 16 & IMAX
Columbia - AMC Columbia 14 & IMAX

Massachusetts

Boston - New England Aquarium’s Simons IMAX Theatre
Natick - Verizon IMAX 3D Theater at Jordan’s Furniture - Natick
Reading - Verizon IMAX 3D Theater at Jordan’s Furniture - Reading

Michigan

Dearborn - The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre
Grand Blanc - NGC Trillium Cinema IMAX Theatre
Grand Rapids - Celebration! Cinema IMAX Theatre
Lansing - Celebration! Cinema IMAX Theatre
Sterling Heights - AMC Forum 30 & IMAX
Ypsilanti - Showcase Cinemas Ann Arbor IMAX

Minnesota

Apple Valley - Great Clips IMAX Theatre

Missouri

Kansas City - AMC BarryWoods 24 & IMAX
St. Louis - Wehrenberg Theatres Ronnies 20 Cine IMAX

Nevada

Las Vegas - Brenden Theatres and IMAX at the Palms Casino Resort
Las Vegas - Regal Red Rock Stadium 16 & IMAX
Las Vegas - Regal Aliante Stadium 16 & IMAX

New Hampshire

Hooksett - Cinemagic IMAX Theatre

New Jersey

Atlantic City -Tropicana Casino and Resort IMAX Theatre
Cherry Hill - AMC Loews Cherry Hill 24 & IMAX
Hamilton - AMC Hamilton 24 & IMAX

New York

Albany - Regal Crossgates Mall 18 & IMAX
Deer Park - Regal Deer Park Stadium 16 & IMAX
Garden City - Grumman IMAX at Cradle of Aviation
New Rochelle - Regal New Roc City 18 & IMAX
New York City - AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 & IMAX
New York City - AMC Empire 25 & IMAX
Rochester - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at Tinseltown USA
West Nyack - IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center
White Plains - IMAX Theatre at City Center: Cinema De Lux 15
Williamsville - Regal Transit Center 18 & IMAX

North Carolina

Raleigh - Wachovia IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum

Ohio

Springdale - IMAX Theatre at Springdale 18: Cinema De Lux
Columbus - AMC Easton Town Center 30 & IMAX

Oklahoma

Tulsa - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at the Tulsa

Oregon

Tigard - Regal Bridgeport Village Stadium 18 & IMAX

Pennsylvania

Bensalem - AMC Neshaminy 24 & IMAX
Harrisburg - Select Medical IMAX Theater at The Whitaker Center
Homestead - AMC Waterfront 22 & IMAX
King of Prussia - UA King of Prussia Stadium 16 & IMAX
Philadelphia - Tuttleman IMAX Theatre at the Franklin Institute
Reading - RC Reading Movies 11 & IMAX
Tarentum - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at the Galleria Pittsburgh Mills

Rhode Island

Providence - Providence Place Cinemas 16 & IMAX

Tennessee

Knoxville - Regal Pinnacle Stadium 18 & IMAX
Nashville - Regal Opry Mills 20 & IMAX

Texas

Austin - The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum IMAX Theatre
Colleyville - Colleyville Cinema & Grille IMAX Theatre
Dallas - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at Cinemark 17
Fort Worth - Fort Worth Museum Omni Theater
Houston - AMC Gulf Pointe 30 & IMAX
Houston - Edwards Houston Marq*E 23 & IMAX
San Antonio - Santikos Palladium 18 IMAX Theatre
Sugar Land - AMC First Colony 24 & IMAX
Tomball - Santikos Silverado Station 18 IMAX

Utah

Sandy - Megaplex 17 IMAX at Jordan Commons

Virginia

Alexandria - AMC Hoffman Center 22 & IMAX
Chantilly - Airbus IMAX Theater at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Hampton - Riverside IMAX Theater at the Virginia Air & Space Center
Virginia Beach - AMC Lynnhaven 18 & IMAX
Woodbridge - AMC Potomac Mills 18 & IMAX

Washington

Lacey - Regal Martin Village Stadium 16 & IMAX
Seattle - Pacific Science Center Boeing IMAX Theatre
Spokane - Riverfront Park IMAX
Tukwila - AMC Southcenter 16 & IMAX

Washington DC

Washington DC - Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater at the National Museum of
Nat. History

Wisconsin

Fitchburg - Kerasotes Star 18 & IMAX

CANADA

Alberta

Calgary - Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Chinook IMAX Theatre
Edmonton - Cineplex Scotiabank West Edmonton Mall IMAX Theatre

British Columbia

Langley - Cineplex Colossus Langley IMAX Theatre
Richmond - Cineplex SilverCity Riverport IMAX Theatre
Vancouver - CN Theatre at Canada Place

Manitoba

Winnipeg - IMAX Theatre at Portage Place

Nova Scotia

Halifax - Empire IMAX, Bayer’s Lake

Ontario

Mississauga - Cineplex Coliseum Mississauga IMAX Theatre
Ottawa - Cineplex SilverCity Gloucester IMAX Theatre
Toronto - Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Toronto IMAX Theatre
Woodbridge - Cineplex Colossus Woodbridge IMAX Theatre

Quebec

Montreal - Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Montreal IMAX Theatre
Quebec City - IMAX le Theatre

INTERNATIONAL

Argentina

Buenos Aires - IMAX Center Norte

Australia

Melbourne - Hoyts Highpoint IMAX
Melbourne - IMAX Theatre, Melbourne Museum
Perth - Hoyts Carousel IMAX
Sydney - Hoyts Entertainment Quarter IMAX
Sydney - LG IMAX Theatre

Brazil

Sao Paolo - Unibanco IMAX Cinema

China

Hong Kong - UA MegaBox IMAX Theatre

Columbia

Bogota - IMAX Theatre Plaza de las Americas

Ecuador

Guayaquil - Fundacion Malecon 2000

Guatemala

Guatemala City - Pradera Concepcion

Korea

Goyangsi - CGV Ilsan
Seoul - CGV Wangsipni
Seoul - CGV Yongsan

Mexico

Guadalajara - Cinepolis Galerias Guadalajara IMAX Theatre
Mexico City - Cinepolis Perisur IMAX Theatre
Mexico City - Cinepolis Universidad IMAX Theatre
Monterrey - Cinepolis Galerias Valle Oriente IMAX Theatre
Toluca - Cinepolis Galerias Metepec IMAX Theatre

Netherlands

Amsterdam - Pathe Arena IMAX

Philippines

Manila - San Miguel Coca-Cola IMAX Theatre

Taiwan

Taipei - Samsung IMAX Miramar Cinemas

United Kingdom

Birmingham - IMAX Theatre at Millennium Point
Bradford - IMAX National Media Museum
Glasgow - Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema
Greenwich - Odeon Greenwich IMAX
London - BFI London IMAX Cinema
Manchester - Odeon IMAX Cinema Manchester at The Printworks
Wimbledon - Odeon Wimbledon

Terminator: Salvation on Imax

2009-01-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

During a screening in Hollywood of footage from Terminator: Salvation on Wednesday, director McG revealed a wealth of new details about his upcoming film, including its potential rating, running time, whether Arnold Schwarzenegger will be involved and what he really thinks of Michael Bay.

The following is an edited version of the session from the event.

Will we get to see the film in IMAX?

McG: I wanted to shoot the film with this dead stock [old film that has been distressed to give the movie a desaturated look]. Therefore it wasn't conducive to shooting it in IMAX format. But we're going to bump it up to IMAX. We are going to bump it up, and it holds up very nicely, and it looks and sounds that much more impactful. But one price we had to pay for making those choices was that we didn't shoot in IMAX.

Source:Scifiwire

350 New Orleans will get Imax view of inauguration

2009-01-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

NEW ORLEANS - Hundreds of students and some seniors will get a larger-than-life view of Barack Obama's inauguration as president on Tuesday.

Audubon Zoo spokeswoman Sarah Burnett says WLAE-TV is providing a live feed to the 75-foot-wide, five-story-tall Imax screen at the Aquarium of the Americas.

In addition to the Metairie Senior Citizens Center, five public and private schools and UNO's international exchange student program are participating.

The local students are from George Cox, Warren Easton and McDonough ‥15 elementary schools, the Learning Unlimited Christian Academy, and the Science and Math Charter Academy.

Burnett says all 354 seats are taken.

Source:OCLA

Amazon Hot Deals: Buy Two Blu-ray Discs, Get One Free

2009-01-07T01:27:00.000-08:00

Choose two Blu-ray discs from a wide selection and get one free.

Offer runs between January 6 and January 16, 2009. Also, check out the High-Def Accessories sale tab and save! (Products in High-Def Accessories tab exclusive from Buy 2 Get 1 Free Blu-ray discs sale). For all Blu-Ray dvds visit Amazon Blu-Ray Stores

This is a great deal for those of you who wants to add you Blu-Ray collection. I see Transformers, 300, Shrek Third, etc2 on the list.

Watchmen New Trailer in HD

2009-01-07T01:03:00.000-08:00

Mass 3D Glasses giveaway for Superbowl Ad

2009-01-06T03:11:00.000-08:00

About 150 million pairs of 3D glasses are to be given away in the US so TV viewers can watch a special film trailer during the Super Bowl final.

A 90-second preview of Dreamworks' animated movie Monsters vs Aliens will be broadcast on 1 February.

The glasses will be available from 28,000 shops across the country.

The film features the voices of Kiefer Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon, with a plot focusing on a group of monsters trying to prevent an alien attack.

Its directors - Rob Letterman, who was responsible for Shark Tale, and Conrad Vernon, known for Shrek 2 - also oversaw the trailer.

Letterman said the pair would be watching the event at home.

"We're going to test the effects of beer and 3D," he joked to the Associated Press.

The campaign would cost "tens of millions of dollars", Dreamworks said.

Viewers who do not have the glasses will still be able to see a "traditional" image on the screen when the commercial is shown.

NBC, the channel which broadcasts the Super Bowl final, has also scheduled a 3D episode of its comedy-drama series Chuck on 2 February.

Is 2009 Year of the 3D Movies?

2009-01-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

Filmmakers take advantage of high-tech formats as the number of theaters able to show 3-D and Imax films increases.

This year, 3-D and Imax have a lock on blockbusters

With digital projection, Imax screens and movies in 3-D all coming to a theater near you, 2009 could go down as the year that high-tech became the indisputably dominant force in American movie theaters.

No less an industry force than DreamWorks Animation head Jeffrey Katzenberg, long the most vocal proponent of high-tech wizardry in moviemaking, is predicting that all movies may one day be shot in 3-D, and he's already decreed that all DreamWorks' animated films be shot using the extra-dimensional process (Disney has the same plans).

Imax and the AMC theater chain are well along in their bid to put Imax screens, with their bigger, brighter pictures and clearer sound, in multiplexes throughout the country.

The spread of both 3-D and Imax is being made possible by the increasing popularity of digital projection, which eliminates the need for bulky (not to mention breakable) film spools.

And technical innovation affects more than simply how a film looks. Increased reliance on computer-generated imagery (CGI) continues to expand the realm of what can be shown onscreen. Filmmakers revel in pushing that envelope ever further.

"Time and money is the only barrier now," says Conrad Vernon, director of DreamWorks' animated "Monsters vs. Aliens," set to debut in both 3-D and Imax this month. "You can pretty much take technology anywhere the mind can go."

As many as a dozen 3-D films are on tap for this year. Disney has four, including a Jonas Brothers' concert film (Feb. 27); Pixar's animated "Up," about a balloon salesman floating his way to South America (May 29); the animated "G-Force," the story of guinea pigs trained in espionage (July 24); a rerelease of Pixar's "Toy Story" (Oct. 6); and Disney's "A Christmas Carol," directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge.

Even horror movies, a staple of 3-D films during the 1950s and 1980s, will once again be jumping off the screen with "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" (Jan. 16).

Movies set to be released in the Imax format include Alan Moore's "Watchmen," in which a group of retired superheroes look to ease the Earth from the brink of Destruction (March 6, if a court battle between Fox and Warner Bros. doesn't delay it); "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian" (May 22); "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (June 26) and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (July 17).

The year's most eagerly anticipated movie, however, involves director James Cameron. Eleven years after his last movie, a minor hit called "Titanic," he returns to theaters with "Avatar" (Dec. 18). In the film, a group of human extraterrestrial space pioneers find themselves in pitched battle against their new planet's native population. And like so many other of 2009's potential blockbusters, it's being released in 3-D and Imax formats.

Of course, knowing Cameron as the inveterate tinkerer he is, it will probably feature about half a dozen new technologies as well -- the sort of stuff the new releases of 2010 will find themselves trying to emulate.

Source:LA Times

Transformers2: The World's First Look Photos

2008-12-28T22:48:00.000-08:00

The anticipated sequel, starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Isabel Lucas, Rainn Wilson and Jennifer Alden, opens in conventional theaters and IMAX on June 26.

To prove just how much is going into Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, USA Today talked extensively about their military interaction. "The Pentagon gave its stamp of approval to the film and allowed production amid the dunes of the Army's New Mexico missile range. 'They let us do the run of things,' Bay says. 'We have so many military assets. Plus, this is a missile range — we can just fire into the set. It's a great place.'" And to top that off, for the first time in history, they were allowed to shoot in Giza, Egypt near the pyramids and were even allowed to shoot on them, which has never been allowed before.

In regards to the last photo, USA Today says: "In the sequel, humanity is still trying to sort out which Transformers can be trusted and which mean to exterminate humans. Authentic military personnel were hired to show just how they might actually handle an over-the-top situation like an alien robot invasion."

Night At The Museum 2 Trailer

2008-12-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

Transformers 2 Gets at Least 3 IMAX Scenes

2008-12-21T00:10:00.000-08:00

Variety reports that director Michael Bay will film at least three action set pieces using IMAX cameras for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The trade adds that director Jon Favreau has discussed using IMAX cameras in filming Iron Man 2, while director D.J. Caruso has expressed interest in doing so for future projects such as Y: The Last Man.

LOS ANGELES /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - IMAX Corporation, DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures today announced that director Michael Bay will shoot key sequences of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with IMAX® cameras. Bay will integrate the IMAX footage with state of the art CGI to create an unprecedented look and feel for the highly anticipated sequel to last year's box office hit, Transformers. As previously announced, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will be released to IMAX® theatres simultaneously with the movie's wide release on June 26, 2009.

The movie sequences shot in traditional 35mm will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The IMAX DMR scenes will appear in the traditional "letterbox" shape, while scenes shot with IMAX's cameras will expand vertically to fill the entire IMAX screen.

"The extraordinary level of detail and intensity captured by the IMAX camera creates many exciting possibilities for us with this film," said Michael Bay, the film's director. "IMAX's all-encompassing format will take this story to a new level, and I am once again very excited to share The IMAX Experience with Transformers fans around the world."

"The addition of another amazing title from DreamWorks and Paramount, combined with more groundbreaking use of IMAX technology by Hollywood's top filmmakers, are examples of how far we have come as a company and a distribution platform over the past several years," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "The growth of the IMAX theatre network, fueled by the economical benefits of the new IMAX digital system, is driving interest from virtually all of the top studios, which is resulting in more IMAX movies for audiences to enjoy."

"Michael Bay's innovative use of IMAX cameras will create a spectacular cinematic adventure for moviegoers next summer," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We're very excited to be integrated as a core part of the Transformers production, and with the skilled marketing and distribution teams at DreamWorks and Paramount, the timing is ideal given our expanding global audience and network footprint."

‘The Dark Knight’ Shatters DVD And Blu-ray Sales Records

2008-12-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Get The Dark Knight: Limited Edition with Batpod (+Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]

According to the statement released by Warner Bros., Blu-ray sales alone have topped 1.7 million units, and total DVD and Blu-ray sales have hit 13.5 million units worldwide (including consumer and rental sales). Again, given that the film has been available for just over a week — coupled with the fact that we’re in the thick of holiday shopping season — it’s clear that we are witnessing “The Dark Knight” setting the bar in terms of DVD and Blu-ray sales, as it has already become the best selling DVD of 2008 (not to mention on iTunes).

Get The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]

In the statement released by the studio, which included all of the aforementioned sales figures, Warner Bros. also commented on the groundbreaking filming techniques used by director Christopher Nolan which gave fans a truly unique experience in terms of the transfer from IMAX to Blu-ray.

“‘The Dark Knight’ marks the first time that a major feature film has been shot in part using IMAX cameras, marking a revolutionary integration of film formats. ‘The Dark Knight’ Blu-ray disc takes advantage of the marriage of IMAX and 35mm formats by using the hybrid master to replicate the unique theatrical experience. The IMAX scenes are also included on the 2-disc Special Edition as bonus materials.”

Do you already have your copy of “The Dark Knight” on DVD or Blu-ray? Or are you hoping someone will hook you up with it for the holidays?

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) Trailer

2008-12-20T02:20:00.000-08:00

Synopsis
When a meteorite from outer space hits a young California girl named Susan Murphy and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger, on a desperate order from The President, the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction!

'Avatar' to be released in Imax 3-D

2008-12-18T00:45:00.001-08:00

The live-action 3-D sci-fi adventure from James Cameron will be released simultaneously in Imax 3-D when the film premieres next year in conventional 3-D theaters, Imax Corp. and 20th Century Fox announced Thursday.

Set for a Dec. 18, 2009 release, "Avatar" is Cameron's sci-fi epic, made in stereoscopic 3-D and combining live-action and computer animation using visionary new techniques.

The film will be digitally re-mastered for the Imax release.

"Our goal with Avatar is to revolutionize live-action 3-D movie-making, and I have no doubt that it will look and sound incredible in Imax 3-D," Cameron said. "The larger field of view and power surround sound of an Imax theater will completely immerse the audience in a way that cannot be experienced anywhere else."

Added Imax's Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution, "The Imax theater network is increasingly becoming an important part of our distribution strategy, as it continues to expand with its new digital projection system."

"Avatar" centers on an ex-Marine who finds himself in the middle of hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms.

As an Avatar -- a human mind in an alien body -- he finds himself torn between two worlds, fighting for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.

The film stars Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver.

Paramount Pictures' Star Trek to be Released as IMAX(R) Movie MAY 8, 2009

2008-12-17T00:30:00.000-08:00

J.J. Abrams' Vision of the Greatest Space Adventure of All Time to Run in Select IMAX Theatres

Paramount Pictures and IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX) today announced that Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams ("Mission: Impossible III", "Lost" and "Alias"), will be simultaneously released to both IMAX(R) and conventional theatres worldwide on May 8, 2009. Star Trek, which chronicles the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members, will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) with proprietary IMAX DMR(R) (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Paramount Pictures will be the exclusive distributor of the film to IMAX theatres worldwide.

Star Trek is one of the world's most successful science fiction entertainment series and media franchises. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the Star Trek phenomenon has lead to six television series, ten feature films, dozens of computer and video games, hundreds of novels and fan stories, as well as a themed attraction in Las Vegas. Star Trek has also inspired a following of millions of "Trekkies" of all ages that span across the globe.

"We're excited to share the enhanced IMAX version of this film with the millions of dedicated fans who have been anticipating this release since production began," said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman, Paramount Pictures. "The IMAX Experience adds that extra level of excitement to an already action-packed film, giving moviegoers a premium 'event' at the multiplex."

Added J.J. Abrams, "I'm thrilled that audiences will be able to experience this new, epic world of Star Trek - with an incredible cast and mind-blowing visual effects - on what is, obviously, the most remarkable film format in the world."

"Star Trek combines top Hollywood story-telling talent with space exploration, and each is very conducive to The IMAX Experience," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "Expanding our relationship with Paramount Pictures to include this film strengthens our 2009 slate, and with the continuing rollout of digital IMAX theatre systems, we will be able to offer the fan-base more locations to experience the epic first journey of the USS Enterprise in the most immersive way."

"Both Star Trek and IMAX have taken audiences to far away places they would normally not be able to go, and in this case, it's space - the final frontier," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "J.J. Abrams has created a powerful movie that has fans worldwide feverishly anticipating its release. We are thrilled to partner with Paramount Pictures to bring J.J.'s exciting vision of this incredible space adventure to IMAX screens."

From director J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci ("Transformers," "MI: III") comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, "Star Trek," featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before. Star Trek explores the early Starfleet careers of future Enterprise officers Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), McCoy (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho), and Chekhov (Anton Yelchin). A Romulan, Nero (Eric Bana), and a much older Spock (Leonard Nimoy) are influences, as well as Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), the first captain of the USS Enterprise.

Hoyts and Imax see the bigger picture

2008-12-17T00:28:00.000-08:00

THE Hoyts cinema and global cinema group Imax have joined forces to open a series of large-format Imax screens in Hoyts locations.

Three new screens are being built at the Hoyts centres at Sydney's Moore Park, Maribyrnong in Melbourne and Cannington in Perth, with a fourth due to open in Melbourne next year.

The joint venture will officially launch on Boxing Day, when an iMax version of the remake of the 1951 science-fiction movie, The Day The Earth Stood Still, will open at all three locations.

The partnership is part of a global push for Imax, which is expanding in the US, Britain, Japan and Austria, as well as Australia, according to Larry O'Reilly, executive vice-president of theatre development for the New York and Toronto-based company.

Key to its immediate growth is a push to show more re-mastered Hollywood blockbusters in Imax and 3D formats, rather than the documentary-style films on which the business was built.

"We're moving to a new business model where we hope to have a major Hollywood blockbuster every four weeks," Mr O'Reilly said.

For Hoyts, the partnership represents a bid by private equity investor Pacific Equity Partners to increase the yield on the company's assets.

PEP bought Hoyts from West Australian Newspapers and James Packer's Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd a year ago for $440 million.

Hoyts chief executive Delfin Fernandez said the company was making a "considerable investment" to convert the theatres to Imax technology, including refurbishing the interiors.

Other Imax films Hoyts will screen this year include Monsters vs Aliens in 3D, Transformers 2 and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

"Hoyts has invested heavily in all areas of the business over the last 12 months," Mr Fernandez said. "We recently launched our new website. Likewise mobile ticketing is a first for both Hoyts and the industry, so our consumers can not only view session times through their mobile phones, but can actually purchase Hoyts tickets through their handsets," he said.

The company has also launched thehalfpipe, which it is billing as the world's first bean bag cinema.

In Australia, the box office is on track for another year of growth, with takings tracking 2 per cent ahead of 2007 for the year to October.

Advertising revenues rose 3.4 per cent in the six months to June.

But the industry's conversion to digital, which will reduce film print costs, is progressing slowly.

"Imax cinemas are all digital," Mr Fernandez said. "Hoyts have a number of digital projectors but the large majority are still 35 mm projectors."

The Hoyts partnership is expected to boost Imax's advertising revenues, helping it to move from a movie sponsorship arrangement to more traditional advertising.

The launch of 3D films has been a large part of Imax's growth since The Polar Express was released in 2004 in Imax 3D at the same time as the 2D version.

"3D is really big in Imax," Mr O'Reilly said.

"We have done equally well with major 2D titles because the filmmakers have worked with us to make the 2D version really special."

Source:The Australian

The Day The Earth Stood Still IMAX result

2008-12-17T00:21:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES, Dec 15, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ ----IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX) and Twentieth Century Fox today announced that The Day The Earth Stood Still, which opened number one at the domestic box office, generated an estimated $31 million, with 123 IMAX theatres contributing approximately $3.7 million to http://ecmisapp:9090/editor/blockedit.HTM#the domestic total. From Friday, December 12, through Sunday December 14, the IMAX release generated an impressive per screen average of approximately $30,000. Included in the weekend's performance were 38 locations equipped with IMAX's new digital projection technology. The film also had a strong international opening, grossing $532,000 from 20 IMAX screens, and it will ultimately play on 26 international IMAX screens in the weeks to come.

"We're very happy with the film's overall performance for the weekend and, with 19 of the top 20 engagements having IMAX screens, its clear that more moviegoers are taking advantage of The IMAX Experience(R: 34.65, +1.96, +6.00%) to make the film an extra special event," said Bruce Snyder, President, Domestic Distribution, Twentieth Century Fox. "We look forward to its continued success in both conventional and IMAX theatres throughout the holiday season."

"This strong opening demonstrates that people are still going to the movies and are willing to pay a premium ticket price for The IMAX Experience, despite the economic downturn," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "Twentieth Century Fox has once again delivered a box office winner during the holiday season, and we're very pleased with the initial results at IMAX theatres. We're particularly happy with the performance of our new joint venture digital locations, which are gaining a lot of traction, given the rapid pace of the rollout."

"The exciting action and stunning visual effects in The Day the Earth Stood Still are very conducive to The IMAX Experience and, as a result, Twentieth Century Fox has enabled the IMAX network to be part of another number-one debuting movie at the box office," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "The combination of the studio's well-executed marketing and distribution plan,, the film's appeal to the tech-savvy 15-30 year-old demographic and the larger footprint of IMAX theatres is proving to be an effective draw, which we believe bodes well for the IMAX network as we head into 2009."

In THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, a contemporary reinvention of the 1951 science fiction classic, renowned scientist Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) finds herself face to face with an alien called Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), who travels across the universe to warn of an impending global crisis. When forces beyond Helen's control treat the extraterrestrial as a hostile and deny his request to address the world's leaders, she and her estranged stepson Jacob (Jaden Smith) quickly discover the deadly ramifications of Klaatu's claim that he is "a friend to the Earth." Now Helen must find a way to convince the entity who was sent to destroy us that mankind is worth saving - but it may be too late. The process has begun.

The Dark Knight Returns to the Big Screen on January 23rd

2008-12-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

Warner Bros. Pictures is bringing “The Dark Knight” back for a return engagement in theatres and IMAX on January 23, 2009, giving audiences one more chance to see the film on the big screen. The film will re-open nationwide, it was announced today by Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution.

In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “‘The Dark Knight’ is a crowning achievement in every sense of the word. We wanted to provide one more opportunity for moviegoers to experience it on the big screen as it was meant to be seen.”

One of the most celebrated and successful films of this or any year, “The Dark Knight” has been hailed by both critics and audiences since its original release last July. The film garnered widespread acclaim for its artistic and technical achievements, including the work of its outstanding cast and its director, Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Christopher Nolan (“Memento”).

Led by Christian Bale, reprising his role from “Batman Begins,” and Academy Award® nominee Heath Ledger (“Brokeback Mountain”), the ensemble cast also includes Academy Award® winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”), Gary Oldman (the “Harry Potter” films), Aaron Eckhart (“Thank You for Smoking”), Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Stranger than Fiction”), and Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”).

In addition, critics and moviegoers alike applauded Nolan’s revolutionary use of IMAX cameras to film some of the most challenging action sequences ever created—a first for a major feature film.

Nolan directed “The Dark Knight” from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan produced the film, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers.

Collaborating with Nolan behind the scenes were two-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography Wally Pfister (“The Prestige,” “Batman Begins”), Oscar®-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“The Prestige”), Oscar®-nominated editor Lee Smith (“Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”) and Oscar®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (“Topsy-Turvy”). The music is by Oscar® winner and multiple Oscar® nominee Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King,” “Gladiator”) and seven-time Oscar® nominee James Newton Howard (“Michael Clayton,” “The Fugitive”), who previously collaborated on the score for “Batman Begins.”

Originally released on July 18, 2008, “The Dark Knight” broke virtually every possible box office record to become the top-grossing film of 2008 and the second-highest grossing movie (domestically) of all time.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Christopher Nolan film. “The Dark Knight,” is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.

“The Dark Knight” is distributed worldwide in theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of violence and some menace.”

Disney's New Five-Picture Deal With IMAX To Begin With "A Christmas Carol"

2008-11-20T00:55:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 -- Disney’s “A Christmas Carol,” the spectacular 3D 2009 holiday release from director Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey, will be the first film from The Walt Disney Studios slated for IMAX ® theatres under a new five-picture arrangement the studio reached with IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX), it was announced today by Mark Zoradi, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group. Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” will lead off an impressive slate of upcoming films from the Studio and a roster of top filmmakers that may include director Tim Burton as well as producer Jerry Bruckheimer. This arrangement makes some of the Studio’s most highly anticipated theatrical releases from November 2009 and beyond available to IMAX venues across the country and around the world.

Commenting on the announcement, Zoradi said, “Experiencing great motion pictures in IMAX takes moviegoing to a whole new level of excitement, and we’re thrilled to be working with the pioneers at IMAX in this venture. We can’t think of a better way to launch than with Robert Zemeckis’ fantastic new approach to the Dickens’ classic, ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Following that, we have an incredible slate of new Disney Digital 3D™ motion pictures from some of the industry’s most accomplished and innovative filmmakers, and we know audiences are going to love being immersed in these great fantasies and adventures in IMAX’s format.”

“Entering into a five-picture agreement with Walt Disney Studios helps us ensure that our network has an outstanding slate of movies going forward,” said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. “We’re delighted to enter this new partnership with one of the greatest brands in the industry, especially at a time when we’re expanding to reach even more IMAX moviegoers.”

Chuck Viane, president of distribution, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures added, “IMAX has a great track record and a loyal following when it comes to presenting epic entertainment, and we believe we have a unique and exciting slate of films that lend themselves to the IMAX format. With the introduction of IMAX's digital projection system, and the addition of new venues across the country, this is a great time to be working with IMAX to bring the ultimate moviegoing experience to audiences everywhere.”

"Disney's commitment to 3D is great for IMAX moviegoers and dovetails ideally with our strategy to build a slate of top-quality movies from the best filmmakers and studios," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We look forward to releasing "A Christmas Carol" as the first of many great Disney titles and working with them to provide IMAX theatres with more outstanding 3D content in the years ahead."

Robert Zemeckis’ takes the art of performance capture to the next level with the November 6, 2009 release of Disney’s ’A Christmas Carol.’ This multi-sensory 3D motion picture captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking motion picture event. Ebeneezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman), and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come (all played by Carrey) take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late.

Release dates for additional titles will be announced in the near future.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International are the global marketing and distribution arms of The Walt Disney Studios. They are responsible for all aspects of marketing, publicity, advertising, promotion, and distribution for motion pictures released under the Walt Disney Pictures (including Walt Disney Animation and Pixar), Touchstone Pictures, and Hollywood Pictures banners. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures oversees all domestic marketing and distribution activities, and generated a Studio gross of more than $1.35 billion in 2007, giving the Studio its 11th billion dollar year in the past 14 years, a feat unmatched by any other Studio. At the overseas box office, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International helped propel the Studio to a gross exceeding $1.7 billion in 2007, leading the division to an unprecedented 13 consecutive years of surpassing the $1 billion mark at the international box office.

Imax Press

DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa opens number one at the box office, shows strong results at IMAX(R) theatres

2008-11-11T00:58:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NYSE:DWA) today announced that Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which opened number one at the domestic box office, generated an estimated $63.1 million with $3.5 million contributed from 129 IMAX(R) theatres from Friday November 7, through Sunday November 9. The release marks the highest grossing 2D-animated IMAX opening ever, recording an IMAX per screen average of $27,000. Included in the weekend's performance were 34 locations equipped with IMAX's digital projection technology. The film also had a strong limited international opening, and it will ultimately play on 30 international IMAX screens.

"We're thrilled that Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa succeeded in providing a good time for the whole family at the movies this weekend," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation. "Its particularly strong results from IMAX theatres illustrate that moviegoers have a real appetite to experience the film in a premium way, and we're looking forward to its continued performance in theaters throughout the holiday season."

"Consumers are paying a premium price for a premium experience, and given the current state of the economy, this is a significant testament to the appeal of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and the strength of The IMAX Experience(R)," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "We're pleased that our 34 new digital locations performed well, especially given our commitment to our joint venture partners and a transition to digital projection."

"DreamWorks Animation once again made a fantastic film, has done an excellent job marketing this movie to IMAX audiences, and this strong opening box office performance demonstrates the great potential of our partnership," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "The combination of a DreamWorks Animation-branded movie and The IMAX Experience continues to resonate with moviegoers and we look forward to entertaining even more of our collective fans in the weeks ahead."

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa joins four other DreamWorks Animation movies previously announced and slated for release in IMAX's format, including Kung Fu Panda, as well as the studio's first three 3D titles, Monster vs. Aliens (March 2009), How to Train Your Dragon (March 2010) and Shrek Goes Fourth (May 2010).

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer Leaked!

2008-10-27T13:40:00.001-07:00

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. The film is set for release July 17, 2009 to IMAX and conventional theaters. The film will contain approximately 25 minutes of 3D footage.

2008-08-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

The sixth installment of the blockbuster "Harry Potter" franchise will now open day-and-date domestically and in the major international markets on July 17, 2009. The announcement was made by Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros.

In making the announcement, Mr. Horn stated, "Our reasons for shifting 'Half-Blood Prince' to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last 'Harry Potter' film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers' strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move 'Half-Blood Prince' to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer."

More on the news

Imax respond by Time Warner decision that they will still be showing Harry Potter next summer. It'll show on more Imax screens by then according to Richard Gelfond, Imax Ceo.

Imax Comments

3 Imax digital open today in New Jersey area

2008-08-15T02:55:00.000-07:00

The AMC Loews Cherry Hill 24 in South Jersey, AMC Neshaminy 24 in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and AMC Hamilton 24 in Hamilton, New Jersey will open its digital IMAX theater this Friday. The theaters will show DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda: The IMAX Experience and 2002 documentary Space Station 3D.

Unfortunately Batman fans hoping to see “The Dark Knight” in IMAX Digital Theatres are out of luck. “The Dark Knight”plays in regular IMAX (with reels), the state-of-the-art digital IMAX (with no reels) are not compatible with the superhero sensation.

Another Imax Digital Theater Open in Reading, PA

2008-08-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

It's the 4th Digital Theater launched by Imax so far. Reading Imax will open to the public Aug 8th. From Aug 8th-11th they will offer $1tickets. "Speed Racer" will be shown during that period.

"It's an immersive experience," said David Campbell, general manager of the multiplex, owned by R/C Theatres of Reisterstown, Md. "It's the best clarity - picture and sound - that you can get in a movie. It feels like you're in the movie."

The theater, painted black with purple, white and red draperies, has raked seating that rises at a 45 degree angle from the seats closest to the screen to those farthest away, allowing audiences to take in the full scope of the experience.

Check out their interactive online presentation of the opening.

Buy One Get One Free Batman/Fandango Ticket

2008-08-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Buy one movie ticket and get one free when you use your Discover Card!

It's back! The Discover card promo till 9/30. Free ticket value up to $12.50.

Get the Discover® Card

Video Gaming on Imax Screen

2008-07-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

At this particular Imax Maritime Aquarium Norwalk, they have a program for kids to play video games.

"NORWALK - Before last night, the biggest screen Anthony Shaw ever played video games on was 60 inches.

He can now boast of playing on a six-story IMAX screen.

Anthony, 12, was one of several youths playing the Xbox 360 version of "Kung Fu Panda" last night as the Maritime Aquarium unveiled what it hopes will become a Saturday night tradition - "VidGames: Colossal."

"It was a lot of fun because of the really big screen," Anthony said after playing for about 15 minutes. "It makes it better to have the surroundsound be loud like that, too."

Last night's demonstration of the new feature - allowing video game play on the aquarium's giant screen - was open to aquarium employees and members for a tryout.

The movie version of "Kung Fu Panda" will be shown at the IMAX theater starting tonight, and the video game of the same name can be enjoyed, starting Aug. 9, for lucky players drawn at random.

A game-playing session will be held about 90 minutes before the 6:30 p.m. Saturday showing of the movie.

Aquarium publicist Chris Loynd warned gamers to arrive early if they want to play.

"Plan to watch and hope to play is what I would say," Loynd said. "My ultimate goal is to have the maximum number of players have the chance to play and to have everyone have a quality gaming experience."

Random names will be selected, with four players getting to play about every 15 minutes. Loynd said about 24 people will play each night.

For now, only "Kung Fu Panda" and other E-10 rated games will be played."

More on this story
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/norwalkadvocate/news/ci_10051191

Inside an Imax 3D theater

2008-07-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

"I have always loved IMAX. Here is a collection of various IMAX images from technology to theaters to films. Where the images indicate a copyright I have provided a link to the site where you can view and explore.

If an image is not viewable, try clicking on it. If you have a viewer available it will provide the ability to see a larger image."

submitted by image_evolution

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer

2008-07-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

Coming soon to an Imax near your November 21st 2008. Some scenes will be in 3D!

Fly Me To the Moon 3D

2008-07-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

Fly Me To the Moon, a space adventure of the third kind.
In 1969 three astronauts dared to go where no man had gone before; the moon. Today, nWave Pictures has created an animated feature film that will take you back to that historic moment.

Coming soon August 22nd 2008 in Imax 3D!

Dark Knight breaks the $300 million mark in a record pace

2008-07-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight keep on breaking record in a quick pace. This momentum might give The Dark Knight to break the all time domestic box office record held by Titanic. This will comes down to how many times people watch the movie again especially in Imax. Imax makes $16.3 million out of the $300 million on just 94 domestic theaters!

The Associated Press reports:

“The Dark Knight” continues to obliterate box office records, crossing the $300 million mark in just 10 days.

The epic Batman saga grossed $75.6 million in its second weekend in theaters, pushing its domestic total to $314,245,000, Warner Bros. head of distribution Dan Fellman said Sunday.

That surpasses the record set in 2006 by “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” which took 16 days to make $300 million.

Buy One Get One Free Batman/Fandango Ticket

2008-07-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

I keep on running into deals for movie tickets lately :). So here’s another one that i want to share so that no one will miss out on the Dark Knight movie.

For those of you who doesn’t have a discover card yet, hurry up and sign up for one since the promo is running till end of September!

If you are a Discover Card holder you can go directly to the link below.

http://www.fandango.com/promo/discovercard

Imax Digital Theater Launch

2008-07-14T02:43:00.000-07:00

July 2008 is a historic month for Imax since they will begin the transition from 70mm projection camera to digital projection. They will begin the conversion with 3 AMC theatres: 2 in Virginia and 1 in Maryland.

This coming Tuesday, 2 of the theatres would start playing KungFu Panda. The bad news for the people that lives in the area is that they won't be showing The Dark Knight movie at those 3 locations. I think the fact that these are Imax's first digital theatres, Imax want to make sure everything run smooth. It seems that the movie that that will use to launch the digital network is Madagascar2 wich will be showing in 31 Imax theatres on November 2nd. This launch will soon followed by the showing of Harry Potter 6: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

By summer next year Imax would have double its presence in United States and also continue their expansion globally.

Free Dark Knight/ Batman ticket!

2008-07-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

I saw an ad on my weekly Albertsons ads and I decide to test it. The ad says “free 2 movie tickets with purchase of 10 General Mills products”. When i check the products price…all of them shows $2.50 or $2. So at the end the maximum you’ll spend is $25. The 2 free movie tickets can be redeemed up to $25.50 on Fandango.
So here’s how i got the free movie tickets which i’m planning to use it to watch The Dark Knight on Imax!!!
1. Purchase 10 general mills product in one visit at your local groceries store (please double check your local Albertsons weekly ads by going to www.Albertsons.com to see which items you can purchase.)2. After you paid you suppose to receive a coupon with the code for the free movie tickets. Please don’t forget this part or else the person who found your coupon will be the lucky recipient :).3. Log on to www.generalmills.com/batmansweeps and choose redeem for movie tickets4. Select your movie, movie time and theatre.5 Redeem your coupon code and voila there goes your free movie tickets!6.Pay for any extra fee with your credit card(since i’m using it for Imax it’s over $25.50 for 2)7. You can use the money you save to pay for gas, popcorn and drinks …since it’s going to be a two and half hour movie!8. Share us your experience and when and where you gonna watch your Batman movie!!!9. Please don’t forget to eat the foods your purchase… Alright enjoy your free movie tickets and see you at the movies.

The Dark Knight Breaking Records

2008-07-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

It looks like my excitement for watching the upcoming Dark Knight movie will also be a record breaking one. If the early number is a prediction, it will surpassed last yr record breaking Spiderman3!
“Dozens of midnight screenings of director Christoper Nolan’s second installment in the bat-franchise have sold out, causing theaters across the country to tack on 3 a.m. showings to meet fan demand” according to online ticket retailer Fandango.
Quick update now theaters also showing 6am shows…it seems we are going to see people falling asleep at work or taking time off on July18th!!!

Imax sign deal in Dubai

2008-06-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

press release by Imax corp

DUBAI, UAE, June 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - IMAX Corporation today announced it has signed an agreement with Meydan LLC, a sports and entertainment property developer in Dubai, UAE, to install an IMAX® theatre as part of a multi-billion development at the world-famous Nad Al Sheba, Dubai's premiere thoroughbred horse racing track. Nad Al Sheba is home to the Dubai World Cup, one of the world's most prestigious horse racing events. Expected to be installed by the end of 2009, the new theatre brings the total number of IMAX locations in the Middle East to 12 by 2010.

"Dubai continues to be recognized around the world for its high end, luxury developments, and we're pleased that the IMAX brand will be included in the Meydan project," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "We remain committed to growing the IMAX network internationally, and we believe that with the right partners, Dubai serves as an excellent platform from which we can increase our visibility in the Middle East."

Imax reaches 2 financing deals to fund digital rollout

2008-05-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

press release by Imax corp

Imax amends credit facility and makes deal for private placement to fund digital rollout

NEW YORK (AP) -- Imax Corp. said Tuesday it has extended the term of its credit facility and agreed to a $18 million private placement to fund the company's digital projection rollout, slated to begin this summer.

Imax's largest shareholder, the Douglas family, has agreed to buy about 2.7 million shares in a private placement for about $6.60 apiece. The family will own 19.9 percent of the company's common stock after the deal, which is expected to close on Thursday.

Also, Wachovia Capital Finance Corp. has agreed to extend the term of the company's existing credit facility to Oct. 31, 2010 and amend certain covenants. Imax said the amended terms allow the company to draw down about $24.4 million immediately. The company said it may be able to take down close to $30 million as its borrowing base increases under the terms of the agreement.

Imax said the deals are expected to provide the company with access to roughly $55 million to $60 million in funding, combined with cash on hand.

As a result of the agreements, Imax said it does not anticipate needing additional financing to fund the digital rollout.

Regal to add 31 Imax Digital Theatres

2008-03-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

Imax Corp. is expanding the screen-count of its joint venture deal with Regal Cinemas to install another 31 Imax digital projection systems at Regal locations in 20 cities in the United States.

The revised agreement will boost the deal to 38 theatres, and will bring the running total of Regal theatres with Imax capacity to 52 screens by the end of 2010, the Toronto company said yesterday.

Imax and Regal will share the cost and profits of the new theatres.

Regal has "set a benchmark for marketing and drawing audiences to Imax theatres, as indicated by the results of our existing theatres in Regal locations," Imax co-chairs and co-CEOs Richard Gelfond and Bradley Wechsler said in a release.

An unspecified number of theatres are expected to open in time for the release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: The Imax Experience, due in November, Imax said.

“We are pleased to expand our IMAX relationship with additional sites, and we’re excited to introduce IMAX’s Digital projection system to Regal audiences in key markets throughout the United States,” stated Greg Dunn, President and COO of Regal Entertainment Group. “Greg Foster, Rob Lister and Phil Groves were instrumental in working with Regal’s IMAX Team to complete this agreement.”

“Regal is one of the best theater operators in the world and they have set a benchmark for marketing and drawing audiences to IMAX theatres, as indicated by the results of our existing theaters in Regal locations,” said IMAX’s Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs, Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. “We are extremely pleased to be expanding our relationship in such a significant way, and we are excited about the new locations in cities throughout the U.S.”

100 Imax digital projectors deal with AMC

2007-12-31T11:06:00.000-08:00

The agreement will double Imax's commercial theater presence in North America, and includes installations at some of AMC's highest-grossing multiplexes such as the Empire in New York's famed Times Square and Century City in Los Angeles.

"We can't think of any deal in our 40-year history that has been more important to us," co-CEO Bradley Wechsler during a webcast Friday.

"This deal, by far and away the largest and most expansive in Imax's history, is extremely significant for the company, from both the financial and strategic point of view."

The Toronto-based maker of large-screen movie systems, did not detail the financial implications of what it described as a joint venture, but Imax co-CEOs Richard Gelfond and Wechsler described the partnership as "a transformational moment" for their firm.

During the webcast, Imax said the term of the agreement is seven years, after which AMC has the option to extend the deal for three more years.