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

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.

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

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).
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Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer Leaked!

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.
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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."

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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.

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3 Imax digital open today in New Jersey area

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.
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