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Batman
Begins Continues Flying High in IMAX Theaters 7/5/05
Record Setting Pace Establishes Film as One of IMAX's Fastest Grossing
Hollywood Simultaneous Releases
NEW YORK, NY, July 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - IMAX Corporation and
Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that Batman Begins: The IMAX
Experience continued to post impressive box office results over the
holiday weekend, grossing approximately $1.45 million on 55 North American
IMAX screens from Friday, July 1 to Monday, July 4. The film has shown
strong legs since debuting in IMAX(R) theatres, setting numerous records
for a Hollywood simultaneous release, including best seven-day opening and
fastest grossing 2D IMAX DMR(R) title. The IMAX release of Batman Begins
has now grossed a total of $8 million in North America, for a cumulative
per screen average of more than $145,000. The 18 international IMAX
theatres playing Batman Begins: The IMAX Experience have contributed an
additional $1.58 million, bringing the film's cumulative worldwide total
to nearly $9.6 million.
"Movies are meant to be bigger than life and the marriage of
Batman Begins and IMAX delivers that experience," said director and
co-screenwriter Christopher Nolan. "It's been very gratifying to see
how moviegoers have embraced this film and I'm thrilled audiences have the
opportunity to explore the origins of the Batman legend in IMAX."
"The outstanding weekday grosses and holiday weekend performance
reflect this film's continued strong word of mouth, which gives us
confidence Batman Begins: The IMAX Experience will show strong legs for
weeks to come," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond
and Bradley J. Wechsler. "The film is already one of our fastest
grossing digitally re-mastered titles, and we believe it will ultimately
be among our highest grossing IMAX DMR releases ever. We are very pleased
with the early results from our blockbuster summer film slate and the
financial returns it's generating for Warner Bros. Pictures and the IMAX
theatre network."
"Batman Begins is an exceptional film, and seeing it in IMAX's
format is a powerful and unique moviegoing experience - which is enticing
people to leave their homes and visit an IMAX theatre," said Greg
Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment.
"Moviegoers have shown they want to experience today's biggest
Hollywood blockbusters in IMAX's format and we're very pleased to offer
them this masterpiece from Warner Bros. Pictures and Christopher
Nolan."
About IMAX Corporation
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Founded in 1967, IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX) is the
newest distribution platform for Hollywood content and one of the world's
leading entertainment technology companies. IMAX delivers the world's best
cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX, IMAX(R) 3D, and IMAX DMR
technology. IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) makes it possible for
virtually any 35mm film to be transformed into the unparalleled image and
sound quality of The IMAX Experience. The IMAX brand is recognized
throughout the world for extraordinary and immersive entertainment
experiences. As of March 31, 2005, there were 250 IMAX theatres operating
in more than 35 countries.
IMAX(R), IMAX(R) 3D, IMAX DMR(R) and The IMAX Experience(R) are
trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information on the Company can be
found at www.imax.com.
This press release contains forward looking statements that are based
on management assumptions and existing information and involve certain
risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ
materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward
looking statements. Important factors that could affect these statements
include the timing of theatre system deliveries, the mix of theatre
systems shipped, the timing of the recognition of revenues and expenses on
film production and distribution agreements, the performance of films, the
viability of new businesses and products, and fluctuations in foreign
currency and in the large format and general commercial exhibition market.
These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004
and in the subsequent reports filed by the Company with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. SOURCE IMAX Corporation
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