LOS ANGELES, June 9 /CNW/ - IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ:IMAX; TSX:IMX) andDreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NYSE:DWA) today announced that Kung Fu Panda:The IMAX Experience opened with strong box office results at IMAX(R) theatresover the three-day weekend from Friday June 6, through Sunday June 8. The filmgrossed $2.3 million on 89 domestic IMAX screens and six international IMAXscreens, for a per screen average of approximately $24,000. The film willcontinue to open in international locations in the weeks ahead, ultimatelyplaying on 36 international IMAX screens.
"The strong opening performance of Kung Fu Panda in IMAX theatres is anindicator of the public's appetite for premium out of home entertainment,"said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation. "We are delighted tobegin our strategic relationship with IMAX on such a positive note and we lookforward to continued success as this film opens in additional marketsworldwide."
"We are pleased to inaugurate our five-picture deal with DreamWorksAnimation with a successful opening weekend for Kung Fu Panda," said IMAXCo-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "Theresults from this weekend re-enforce our long-standing belief that DreamWorksAnimation-branded movies are well-suited to IMAX's format. This film has drawnvery positive reviews and delivers the kind of creativity and family humorthat we anticipate will play well throughout the course of its IMAX run."
"We're thrilled to kick off our summer slate with a box office hit," saidGreg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "DreamWorksAnimation is very talented at creating magic for the big screen, and we'rehappy to be playing a role in bringing that magic to life through The IMAXExperience(R). The combination of a studio firing on all cylinders, a highlyentertaining movie such as Kung Fu Panda and The IMAX Experience continues toresonate very well with audiences."
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading digital entertainment andtechnology companies. The worldwide IMAX network is among the most importantand successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event Hollywoodfilms around the globe, with IMAX(R) theatres delivering the world's bestcinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX, IMAX(R) 3D, and IMAX DMR(R)technology. IMAX DMR is the Company's groundbreaking digital remasteringtechnology that allows it to digitally transform virtually any conventionalmotion picture into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAXExperience. IMAX's renowned projectors and new digital systems displaycrystal-clear images on the world's biggest screens. The IMAX brand isrecognized throughout the world for extraordinary and immersive entertainmentexperiences for consumers.
