LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on their
existing long-standing relationship, IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX)
and The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company
(NYSE: DIS), announced today that both companies have extended
their multi-faceted agreement with a new multi-picture deal —
beginning this year and extending through 2019 — that includes the
much-anticipated live-action and animated tentpole releases from
Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel and
Lucasfilm.
Highlights of the agreement include IMAX's involvement in the
release of Lucasfilm's untitled Indiana Jones film, untitled
Han Solo Star Wars anthology
film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: Episode
IX; Marvel's Black Panther, Ant-Man and the Wasp,
Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War and the
untitled Avengers sequel; Disney's Beauty and the
Beast, A Wrinkle in Time and Mulan; Pixar's
The Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4 and Walt Disney
Animation Studios' Wreck-It Ralph sequel.
Following J.J. Abrams' iconic use
of IMAX® cameras in Star Wars: The Force Awakens,
the companies have also announced that director Rian Johnson has captured key sequences of
Star Wars: The Last Jedi using IMAX's extremely
high-resolution cameras, delivering IMAX audiences greater scope
and increased image quality in IMAX's exclusive aspect ratio for a
uniquely immersive experience. Additionally, as previously
announced, Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled
Avengers sequel will be shot in their entirety by The Russo
Brothers with IMAX® cameras.
"The Walt Disney Studios strives to bring great stories from
visionary filmmakers to life for audiences around the world,
leveraging the best technology available to create exceptional
theatrical experiences," said Alan
Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios. "That's what
IMAX brings to the table, and we look forward to continuing to work
with the IMAX team on the unparalleled upcoming slate of films from
Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm."
As part of the new agreement, both companies will work together
to create exclusive IMAX marketing materials, particularly for
those films captured using IMAX cameras or featuring an expanded
aspect ratio exclusively in IMAX® theatres. In 2016,
Disney occupied four of the top ten IMAX spots at the global box
office, including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Captain
America: Civil War, Doctor Strange and The Jungle
Book.
"Disney is at the top of its game, offering fans around the
world highly original and diverse movie-going entertainment, which
aligns perfectly with The IMAX Experience® as the most captivating
and unique theatrical presentation," said Greg Foster, CEO of IMAX Entertainment and
Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. "We look forward to
continuing our collaboration with our close friends at Disney and
this elite group of filmmakers to bring first-class entertainment
to the IMAX theatre network. We are particularly excited to
announce Rian Johnson's use of IMAX
cameras on Star Wars: The Last Jedi as we embark on a year
that will feature more films with IMAX differentiation than ever
before in our history."
The IMAX release of each film will be digitally re-mastered into
the image and sound quality of The IMAX
Experience® with proprietary IMAX
DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) 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.
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in
entertainment technology, combines proprietary software,
architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you
beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top
filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to
connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as
such, IMAX's network is among the most important and
successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films
around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New
York, Toronto and
Los Angeles, with offices in
London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Sep. 30, 2016, there were 1,145 IMAX theatres
(1,037 commercial multiplexes, 16 commercial destinations and 92
institutions) in 74 countries. On Oct. 8,
2015, shares of IMAX China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corp.,
began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code
"HK.1970."
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®,
Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D
Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is
Believing® are trademarks of IMAX
Corporation. More information about the Company can be found
at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on
Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax)
and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).
About The Walt Disney Studios
For over 90 years, The
Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt
Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies,
music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature
films are released under the following banners: Disney, including
Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios;
Disneynature; Marvel Studios; and Lucasfilm. The Disney Music Group
encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels,
as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group
produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway,
Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.
This press release contains forward looking statements that
are based on IMAX management's 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. These risks and
uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on
Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
For additional information please contact:
Business
Media:
IMAX
Corporation – New York
Ann
Sommerlath
212-821-0155
asommerlath@imax.com
Sloane &
Company – New York
Whit Clay
212-446-1864
wclay@sloanepr.com
|
Investors:
IMAX Corporation –
New York
Jessica
Kourakos
212-821-0110
jkourakos@imax.com
Entertainment
Media:
Principal
Communications Group – Los Angeles
Melissa Zukerman/Paul
Pflug
323-658-1555
melissa@pcommgroup.com
paul@pcommgroup.com
|
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SOURCE IMAX Corporation