LOS ANGELES, CA, Dec. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IMAX Corporation and Twentieth Century Fox today announced that Night at the Museum, an adventure comedy directed by Shawn Levy (The Pink Panther and Cheaper by the Dozen) and starring Ben Stiller and Robin Williams, opened to exceptionally strong box office results in IMAX(R) theatres during the four day Christmas holiday weekend. The digitally re-mastered IMAX release grossed $2.3 million at 72 domestic IMAX theatres from Friday, December 22 through Monday December 25, 2006, contributing to the film becoming the country's number one box office hit. Night at the Museum has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) with proprietary IMAX DMR(R) (Digital Re-mastering) technology.
"Moviegoers are taking advantage of The IMAX Experience to make Night at the Museum an extra special event for the holidays," said Bruce Snyder, President, Domestic Distribution, Twentieth Century Fox. "We are thrilled with the film's overall performance and are delighted that 18 of the top 20 grossing engagements were IMAX screens. We look forward to its continued success in both conventional and IMAX theatres."
"IMAX theatres are clearly a popular destination for moviegoers this holiday season and we are thrilled to wrap up the year with such a fun and exciting film," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEO's Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler.
"Twentieth Century Fox has done an outstanding job of creating a very memorable and exciting holiday movie that is ideally suited to The IMAX Experience," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "The strong opening in both IMAX and traditional theatres is fantastic and the IMAX results are indicative of the public's appetite for Hollywood movies presented in this immersive format. We are delighted that moviegoers will be able to experience Night at the Museum in IMAX theatres at both multiplexes and select institutions throughout the holidays and into 2007."
Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he's destined for something big. But even he could never have imagined how "big," when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift night watchman at a museum of natural history. But during Larry's watch, something extraordinary happens: the museum's exhibits magically come to life. A fearsome T-Rex insists on a game of fetch (with one of his own skeleton bones); Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; and a wax figure of Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) gives Larry important advice while harboring a crush for an Indian princess. As things spiral wildly out of control, Larry must find a way to control the magic to stop a nefarious plot and save the museum.
About IMAX Corporation
Founded in 1967, IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment technology companies and the newest distribution window for Hollywood films. 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 September 30, 2006, there were 280 IMAX theatres operating in 40 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 http://www.imax.com/.
