NEW YORK and SHANGHAI, Aug. 24,
2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE:
IMAX) today announced that Huayi
Brothers' "The Eight Hundred" soared in its IMAX debut,
earning $7.5 million in box office
across nearly 650 IMAX theatres in China. IMAX theatres delivered the strong
result even with a 50% capacity limitation in China, and captured 6.5% of the film's overall
box office, despite accounting for only 1% of screens. Chinese
audiences flocked to the war epic, with IMAX theatres recording
more than 550 sell-out shows in the first two days of exclusive
preview screenings alone. "The Eight Hundred" has earned an
estimated $116 million in overall box
office to date.
"The Eight Hundred" is the first commercial film in Asia shot entirely using IMAX cameras, and the
first new blockbuster release to hit Chinese multiplexes since they
began reopening in late July. The strong performance of "The Eight
Hundred" lifted IMAX to global box office of $8 million for the weekend — more than double
last weekend's total and the company's best weekend box office
performance since Chinese theatres closed in January. In
China, IMAX has now earned
$15.7 million at the box office—
overall market share of 6.4% — and generated 2.1 million admissions
since its theatres began to resume operations on July 24.
"After being closed for six months, the performance of IMAX
theatres at the Chinese box office continues to exceed our
expectations and reinforces our belief that audiences are eager to
return to theatres where local guidelines allow," said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. "'The Eight Hundred'
breaks new ground as the first commercial film in Asia shot entirely with IMAX cameras and its
strong debut marks a significant step in the rebound of the
theatrical business in the critically important Chinese
market."
"The Eight Hundred" is based on the true story of the battle and
protection of the Si Hang Warehouse during Sino-Japanese war in
Shanghai, China, in 1937. In the
event, about 400 soldiers (the so-called Eight Hundred Heroes in
history) held out against numerous waves of Japanese forces for
four days and nights.
"The Eight Hundred" kicks off a strong fall slate for IMAX in
China, including the Chinese
release of Warner Bros. Pictures and Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" on September 4. "Tenet" begins opening in
international markets on August
26.
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation, 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 Corporation is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los
Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of March
31, 2020, there were 1,616 IMAX theatre systems (1,526
commercial multiplexes, 14 commercial destinations, 76
institutional) operating in 81 countries and territories. On
October 8, 2015, shares of IMAX
China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, began trading on the Hong
Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "1970."
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D
Experience®, The IMAX Experience®, IMAX Is Believing® and IMAX
nXos® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about
IMAX Corporation 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).
For more information, please contact:
Investors:
IMAX Corporation, New
York
Brett
Harriss
+1-212-821-0187
bharriss@imax.com
IMAX China,
Shanghai
Karen Chan
+86-21-2315-7158
kchan@imax.com
|
Media:
IMAX Corporation,
New York
Mark
Jafar
+1-212-821-0102
mjafar@imax.com
IMAX China,
Beijing
Frances
Fu
+86-21-2315-7162
ffu@imax.com
|
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SOURCE IMAX Corporation