Tuesday, April 20, 2010

IMAX inks new theater deal in Japan

TOKYO —

Megascreen drama association IMAX Corp. pronounced Tuesday it will enhance in Japan - a ultimate in a array of international deals inked recently amid growing demand for 3-D movies following a success of scholarship fiction blockbuster Avatar.

The Canada-based company, along with internal partner Tokyu Recreation, will add 5 of a giant 3-D equipped screens in a Japan over a next dual years. Since Tokyu opened 4 IMAX theaters final year, box bureau profits have exceeded expectations as well as assured a Japanese association to set up more.

"Performance has been unequivocally strong," pronounced IMAX arch senior manager Richard Gelfond of a Japanese theaters. "It's probably a strongest begin which we've had in any domain in a history."

The understanding is part of a IMAX's aggressive expansion, particularly in Asia. Those skeleton had already been in place final year as a association sought growth as well as a miscarry from losses in 2008.

But then Avatar - as well as a unusual success - came along in December. The movie fueled revenues, irritated seductiveness in 3-D worldwide as well as total momentum to IMAX's expansion.

Avatar, a highest grossing movie of all time, additionally pennyless tellurian IMAX box bureau records, bringing in $237 million upon 256 screens. The company's greatest strike prior to a 3-D scholarship fiction epic was a Dark Knight, which made $62 million.

Financial earnings for movie theaters were already good, Gelfond pronounced in Tokyo. "But Avatar unequivocally put them in an additional strata."

The agreement in Japan follows a 15-theater understanding it signed final month in South Korea, a four-theater understanding in France, a single-theater understanding in Singapore as well as an expanded partnership in Russia.

IMAX is even seeking to set up IMAX screens where there have been no theaters. In growth is a unstable IMAX theater, identical to an inflatable dome, which could be erected in days as well! as chai r 450.

The thought binds guarantee for rural areas, such as in China, or live action sports events in parks, Gelfond said. A prototype should be out by May, with possible launch in September.

The emergence of 3-D televisions additionally has a association considering how to parlay a success in to vital rooms.

It might introduce a "very unequivocally high-end" 3-D home entertainment system in a future, Gelfond told The Associated Press. It is additionally operative upon a project with Sony Corp. as well as Discovery Communications to launch a initial 3-D television channel next year.

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"IMAX has been in a 3-D business for 25 years, so we have a fair amount of content in a library," Gelfond said.

The association was originally known for offering educational drive-in theatre in scholarship centers as well as museums. In 2002, it introduced record which enabled standard 35mm movies to be digitally converted for a large-format cinemas during a in accord with cost.

An IMAX shade is like high-definition TV for a movie theater. They can be anywhere from 40-feet high such as upon 42nd Street in New York to eight-story high screens in London as well as Sydney.

As most as 700 people can fit in a singular cinema. The record offers enhanced visual as well as sound peculiarity for multiform dollars some-more than a cost of a unchanging ticket.

The experience appears to be in a future worth it for moviegoers, which Gelfond attributes to great storytelling total with brand new technology.

"The industry was a small drunk upon a thought which you put anything in 3-D as well as it sells tickets," he said. "The peculiarity of Avatar as well as a result have hopefully reinforced which it's unequivocally about a movie."

The company's income jumped 67 percent in 2009, as well as it rebounded to a net profit of $20.5 million. Its batch is up some-m! ore than 200 percent over a past year.

Alice in Wonderland is additionally proving a 3-D strike in Japan, a opening weekend earning about $336,000 upon a 4 existent IMAX screens, surpassing Avatar's initial dual days in a country. IMAX is in talks with alternative companies to set up some-more screens besides a 5 already programmed as well as hopes to in a future reformat Japanese drive-in theatre for a theaters.

Last year, it ventured outside Hollywood productions for a initial time when it announced skeleton to begin reformatting mainstream Chinese drive-in theatre for a theaters commencement in July 2010. As part of a understanding with one of China's largest movie studios, Huayi Brothers, a movie "Aftershock" will be a initial of three releases during theaters in China.

Worldwide, there have been 430 IMAX theaters in 48 countries, with during least 50 some-more upon a way in 2010. Its 3-D movie lineup this year includes Shrek Forever After, Toy Story 3 as well as Tron: Legacy.



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