The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience posts record-breaking second weekend results

The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience posts record-breaking second weekend results

Film Expected to Cross $20 Million Today, Faster Than Any Previous IMAX Release

LOS ANGELES, CA, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience continued its unprecedented box office performance with the highest grossing second weekend in IMAX history. The IMAX release grossed $4.6 million on 94 domestic IMAX screens, from Friday July 25 through Sunday July 27, bringing the film's domestic total to $16.3 million.

Internationally, the film grossed approximately $1.6 million in 28 IMAX(R) theatres, for a per screen average of $57,800, bringing the international total to $2.8 million. Through Sunday, the worldwide IMAX total was $19.2 million and is expected to cross the $20 million milestone today.

"The Dark Knight is continuing to create new Batman fans nationwide with many repeat customers experiencing it in IMAX theatres," said Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. "The box office performance of the film in IMAX's format demonstrates how The IMAX Experience(R) transforms an already exciting movie into an event that lasts beyond the first weekend."

The IMAX release of The Dark Knight continued its opening box office record streak overseas. Highlights from this past weekend include London's BFI IMAX theatre, which hosted the film's European premiere, and posted a record international IMAX opening of $221K for the weekend. The film also broke opening weekend records for an IMAX title in Holland, South Africa, Turkey and the UAE.

"With nearly $58,000 per screen average for the weekend, moviegoers are clearly drawn to IMAX theatres," said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. "Results in the holdover markets dropped a mere 13%, which demonstrates the resilience this film has in the IMAX format."

"Many IMAX theatres have been operating at nearly full capacity throughout the week and into the second weekend, and the additional IMAX locations that opened internationally over the weekend have reported many individual box office records," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "We're starting to see the film's strong legs in IMAX theatres, with a second record-breaking weekend and strong advance sales into this week."

"The second weekend results are incredible," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We are grateful to (Director) Chris Nolan for incorporating IMAX into the design of his film and to Warner Bros. Pictures for utilizing the IMAX network as a key part of the film's marketing and distribution blueprint, a combination that clearly resonates with moviegoers worldwide."

The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience features six sequences filmed with IMAX cameras, which marks the first time ever that a major feature film has been even partially shot using IMAX cameras, marking a revolutionary integration of the two film formats.

Sequences shot in traditional 35mm have been digitally re-mastered into The IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR(R) technology. The two formats are seamlessly integrated and morph between IMAX and IMAX DMR. In other words, scenes shot in 35mm appear in IMAX DMR (letterbox), while scenes shot with IMAX's cameras on 15/70mm film expand vertically to fill the entire IMAX screen, which can be up to eight stories tall, for an all-encompassing IMAX Experience.

With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.

Christian Bale reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain") stars as arch-villain The Joker, and Aaron Eckhart plays District Attorney Harvey Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast in the role of Rachel Dawes. Returning from "Batman Begins" are Gary Oldman as Lieutenant Jim Gordon; Oscar winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") as Alfred; and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") as Lucius Fox.

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 www.imax.com.

Certain statements included in this quarterly report may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, references to future capital expenditures (including the amount and nature thereof), business and technology strategies and measures to implement strategies, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and growth of business, operations and technology, plans and references to the future success of IMAX Corporation together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries (the "Company") and expectations regarding the Company's future operating and financial results. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform with the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, general economic, market or business conditions; the opportunities (or lack thereof) that may be presented to and pursued by the Company; competitive actions by other companies; U.S. and Canadian regulatory inquiries; conditions in the in-home and out-of-home entertainment industries; changes in laws or regulations; conditions, changes and developments in the commercial exhibition industry; risks associated with the performance of the Company's new technologies; risks associated with investments and operations in foreign jurisdictions and any future international expansion, including those related to economic, political and regulatory policies of local governments and laws and policies of the United States and Canada; the potential impact of increased competition in the markets the Company operates within; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this quarterly report are qualified by these cautionary statements, and actual results or anticipated developments by the Company may not be realized, and even if substantially realized, may not have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Source: IMAX Corporation

CONTACT: Media: IMAX Corporation, New York, Sarah Gormley, (212)
821-0155, sgormley@imax.com; Entertainment Media: Newman & Company, Los
Angeles, Al Newman, (310) 278-1560, asn@newman-co.com; Investors: IMAX
Corporation - New York, Heather Anthony, (212) 821-0121, hanthony@imax.com;
Business Media: Sloane & Company, New York, Whit Clay, (212) 446-1864,
wclay@sloanepr.com

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Profile: International Entertainment