LOS ANGELES, CA, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. today announced that the studio's highly anticipated summer movie, Kung Fu Panda, starring Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu and David Cross will open in 89 IMAX(R) theatres domestically on June 6th in conjunction with the film's wide release. Kung Fu Panda is the first of five DreamWorks Animation films slated for release in IMAX theaters from June 2008 to May 2010.
The film will also open in 37 IMAX theatres internationally during the days and weeks following the domestic launch. Kung Fu Panda has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) with IMAX DMR(R) technology.
"We believe Kung Fu Panda is well-suited for The IMAX Experience, which immerses moviegoers into the action on the big screen," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation. "We always aim to deliver a premium entertainment experience to our audience and believe IMAX helps us to do that."
"Kung Fu Panda marks the beginning of an important new studio relationship for the IMAX theatre network, and it represents a whole new brand of movie for IMAX fans," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "This is a fantastic way to kick off our summer movie slate, and we are very excited to share this big summer film with DreamWorks Animation and our audiences worldwide."
About Kung Fu Panda
Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of kung fu around ... which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of kung fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five-Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey - under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a kung fu master into reality? Po puts his heart -- and his girth -- into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.
Kung Fu Panda: The IMAX Experience is scheduled to play day-and-date at the following IMAX(R) Theatres beginning on June 6th.
UNITED STATES Alabama Huntsville - Spacedome IMAX at U.S. Space and Rocket Center Arkansas Little Rock - Promenade at Chenal Arizona Mesa - Gateway 12 IMAX Theatre Phoenix - IMAX Theatre at AMC Deer Valley 30 California Anaheim - Sanborn Anaheim Garden Walk IMAX Cathedral City - Desert IMAX Theatre Dublin - Regal Hacienda Crossings IMAX Fresno - Fresno Stadium Cinema & IMAX Irvine - Edwards Irvine Spectrum IMAX Los Angeles - Universal CityWalk IMAX Theatre Los Angeles - IMAX Theatre at The Bridge: cinema de lux Ontario - Edwards Ontario Palace IMAX San Diego - San Diego IMAX at Mira Mesa 18 San Francisco - AMC Loews IMAX Theatre at Metreon Colorado Colorado Springs - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at Cinemark Carefree Circle Denver - UA Colorado Center IMAX Connecticut Manchester - IMAX Theatre at Showcase Cinemas Buckland Hills Florida Orlando - Pointe Orlando 20 & IMAX St. Petersburg - Muvico Baywalk 20 & IMAX Tampa - Channelside Cinemas IMAX West Palm Beach - Parisian 20 & IMAX Georgia Buford - Regal Mall of Georgia IMAX Idaho Boise - Edwards Boise Stadium IMAX Illinois Batavia - Randall 15 IMAX Chicago - Navy Pier IMAX Theatre Lincolnshire - Regal Lincolnshire IMAX Woodridge - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at Seven Bridges Indiana Evansville - Showplace Cinemas IMAX Theatre Indianapolis - ShowPlace 16 IMAX Theatre Noblesville - Hamilton Towne Center 16 + IMAX Portage - Portage 16 IMAX Iowa Council Bluffs - Star Cinemas Council Bluffs Des Moines - Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater Kansas Olathe - IMAX Theatre at AMC Studio 30 Kentucky Louisville - Cinema De Lux 20: Stonybrook IMAX Theatre Louisiana Covington - Holiday Square IMAX Cinema Massachusetts Natick - Verizon IMAX 3D Theater at Jordan's Furniture - Natick Reading - Verizon IMAX 3D Theater at Jordan's Furniture - Reading Michigan Dearborn - The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre Grand Blanc - NGC Trillium IMAX Theatre Grand Rapids - IMAX Theatre at Celebration! Cinema Lansing - IMAX Theatre at Celebration! Cinema Sterling Heights - IMAX Theatre at AMC Forum 30 Ypsilanti - Showcase Cinemas Ann Arbor Minnesota Apple Valley - Great Clips IMAX Theatre St. Michael - CineMagic Metropolitan IMAX Theatre Missouri St. Louis - Ronnies 20 Cine IMAX Nevada Las Vegas - Brenden Theatres and IMAX at the Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas - Red Rock Stadium 16 & IMAX New Hampshire Hooksett - Cinemagic IMAX Theatre New Jersey Atlantic City - IMAX Theatre at Tropicana Casino New York Garden City - Leroy R. and Rose W. Grumman IMAX Dome Theater New York City - AMC Loews IMAX Theatre, Lincoln Square New Rochelle - Regal New Roc City IMAX Rochester - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at Tinseltown USA West Nyack - IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center White Plains - IMAX Theatre at City Center: Cinema de lux Williamsville - Regal Transit Center IMAX North Carolina Raleigh - Wachovia IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum Ohio Cincinnati -Cinema De Lux 18: Springdale IMAX Theatre Columbus - IMAX Theatre at AMC Easton Town Center 30 Oklahoma Tulsa - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at The Tulsa Oregon Tigard - Portland IMAX at Bridgeport Village Stadium 18 Pennsylvania Harrisburg - Select Medical IMAX Theater at The Whitaker Center King of Prussia - UA King of Prussia IMAX Tarentum - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at the Galleria Pittsburgh Mills Rhode Island Providence - Feinstein IMAX Theatre Providence Place Tennessee Knoxville - Pinnacle 18 Complex at Turkey Creek Nashville - Regal Opry Mills IMAX Texas Dallas - Cinemark IMAX Theatre at Cinemark 17 Houston - Edwards Marq(x)E IMAX Houston - Silverado Station 18 IMAX San Antonio - Palladium IMAX Theatre Utah Sandy - Megaplex 17 IMAX at Jordan Commons Virginia Chantilly - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center IMAX Theater Hampton - Riverside 3D IMAX Theater at the Virginia Air & Space Center Richmond - Science Museum of Virginia's Ethyl IMAX Dome and Planetarium Washington Seattle - Pacific Science Center Boeing IMAX Theater Spokane - Riverfront Park IMAX Theatre Wisconsin Fitchburg - Star Cinema IMAX CANADA Alberta Calgary - Scotiabank Theatre Chinook Edmonton - Scotiabank Theatre West Edmonton Mall British Columbia Langley - Cineplex IMAX Theatre, Colossus Langley Richmond - Cineplex IMAX Theatre, SilverCity Riverport Nova Scotia Halifax - The Empire IMAX in Bayers Lake Ontario Mississauga - Cineplex IMAX Theatre, Coliseum Mississauga Ottawa - Cineplex Entertainment IMAX Theatre, SilverCity Gloucester IMAX Theatre Toronto - Cineplex IMAX Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre Toronto Woodbridge - Cineplex Entertainment IMAX Theatre, Colossus Woodbridge Quebec Montreal - Cineplex Entertainment IMAX Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre Montreal INTERNATIONAL Australia Melbourne - IMAX Theatre, Melbourne Museum China Beijing - IMAX Theatre UME Beijing International Beijing - IMAX Theatre at the China National Film Museum Changchun - Changchun Wanda International Cinema Changsha - Changsha Wanda International Cinema Dongguan - Dongguan Wanda Theatre Shanghai - IMAX Theatre at Peace Cinema Suzhou - Suzhou Science and Cultural Arts Centre Wuhan - Wuhan Studio City IMAX Theatre Co., Ltd Ecuador Guayaquil - Fundacion Malecon 2000 France Paris - Gaumont Disney Village IMAX Guatemala Guatemala City - Pradera Concepcion Hong Kong Kowloon - UA MegaBox IMAX Theatre Korea Daegu - CGV Daegu Incheon - CGV Incheon Seoul - CGV Yongsan Mexico Cuernavaca - Cinemex Diana Guadalajara - Cinepolis IMAX Theatre Galerias Guadalajara Mexico City - Cinepolis IMAX Theatre Perisur Mexico City - Cinepolis IMAX Theatre Universidad Monterrey - Cinepolis IMAX Theatre Valle Oriente Torreon - Cinemas Martinez IMAX Netherlands Amsterdam - Pathe Arena IMAX Philippines Manila - San Miguel Coca-Cola IMAX Theatre Russia Kazan - IMAX Theatre, Port Cinema St. Petersburg - Coca-Cola IMAX Kinostar City Spain Barakaldo - Yelmo Cines Megapark Malaga - Yelmo Cines Plaza Mayor Oviedo - Yelmo Cines Los Prados Taiwan Taipei - Samsung IMAX Miramar Cinemas Thailand Bangkok - KrungSri IMAX Siam Paragon UAE Dubai - Grand Megaplex 21 IMAX UK Birmingham - IMAX Theatre at Millennium Point Bradford - IMAX National Media Museum Glasgow - Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema London - BFI London IMAX Cinema Manchester - ODEON IMAX Cinema Manchester @ The Printworks Additional theatres will be confirmed. Please check local listings or IMAX.com for final theatre listings, launch dates and showtimes. About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading digital entertainment and technology companies. The worldwide IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event Hollywood films around the globe, with IMAX(R) theatres delivering the world's best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX, IMAX(R) 3D, and IMAX DMR technology. IMAX DMR is the Company's groundbreaking digital remastering technology that allows it to digitally transform virtually any conventional motion picture into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience. IMAX's renowned projectors and new digital systems display crystal-clear images on the world's biggest screens. The IMAX brand is recognized throughout the world for extraordinary and immersive entertainment experiences for consumers. As of March 31, 2008, there were 298 IMAX theatres operating in 40 countries.
IMAX(R), IMAX(R) 3D, IMAX DMR(R), IMAX(R) MPX(R), and The IMAX Experience(R) are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information on the Company can be found at http://www.imax.com/.
This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on 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. Important factors that could affect these statements include ongoing discussions with the SEC and OSC relating to their ongoing inquiries and the Company's accounting, 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, risks arising from potential material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting 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, 2007, as well as the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
About DreamWorks Animation SKG
DreamWorks Animation is principally devoted to developing and producing computer generated, or CG, animated feature films. With world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced CG filmmaking technology and techniques, DreamWorks Animation makes high quality CG animated films meant for a broad movie-going audience. The Company has theatrically released a total of fifteen animated feature films, including Shrek, Shrek 2, Shark Tale, Madagascar, Over the Hedge, Shrek the Third and Bee Movie. DreamWorks Animation's 2008 feature film releases include Kung Fu Panda, in theaters on June 6 and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, in theaters on November 7. Monsters vs. Aliens, the Company's first film produced in 3D, is slated for a domestic release date of March 27, 2009.
This document includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company's plans, prospects, strategies, proposals and our beliefs and expectations concerning performance of our current and future releases and anticipated talent, directors and storyline for our upcoming films and other projects, constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry in which we operate and management's beliefs and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, and other risks and uncertainties affecting the operation of the business of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. These risks and uncertainties include: audience acceptance of our films, our dependence on the success of a limited number of releases each year, the increasing cost of producing and marketing feature films, piracy of motion pictures, the effect of rapid technological change or alternative forms of entertainment and our need to protect our proprietary technology and enhance or develop new technology. In addition, due to the uncertainties and risks involved in the development and production of animated feature projects, the release dates for the projects described in this document may be delayed. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and our most recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. DreamWorks Animation is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.
