Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to be Released in IMAX® Theatres on November 22, 2013
Catching Fire to Feature Sequences Filmed with IMAX® Cameras
SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 13, 2012 /CNW/ - IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading diversified global entertainment company, today announced that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the second film in the wildly popular franchise, will be released in the immersive IMAX® format on November 22, 2013.
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The first Hunger Games film just crossed the $400 million mark at the North American box office, making it the 14th highest-grossing film of all time. The film has grossed nearly $650 million worldwide, with a rollout in China (including 67 IMAX screens) later this month.
Helping to further eventize this cultural phenomenon and transport moviegoers into the world of Panem, director Francis Lawrence will utilize IMAX® cameras in filming portions of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Exclusively in IMAX® theatres, sequences shot with the extremely high-resolution cameras will expand to fill the entire screen with unprecedented crispness and clarity, putting moviegoers right into the action alongside Katniss and her fellow Tributes. Leading the cast is Oscar® nominee Jennifer Lawrence, reprising her role as Katniss Everdeen, along with fellow returning cast members Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark.
"We are thrilled to continue the productive partnership we enjoyed with IMAX on the first installment of The Hunger Games," said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger. "Our partnership on the first Hunger Games film was a resounding success, and we look forward to building on that experience with an expanded IMAX relationship on Catching Fire. IMAX delivers a unique and memorable experience that is the perfect way to celebrate this special moviegoing event."
"Beyond the global phenomenon that was The Hunger Games, the film resonated exceptionally with IMAX fans, resulting in sell outs across the network during the limited IMAX run," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We are excited to expand our partnership with director Francis Lawrence, producers Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik and the Lionsgate team as Catching Fire joins a select group of blockbuster titles that have filmed with IMAX cameras, elevating the property to the next level."
The IMAX release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is based on the second book in Suzanne Collins' bestselling series. It chronicles the life of Katniss Everdeen after she emerges from the 74th Annual Hunger Games victorious -- but far from safe. Even as she becomes an unwitting symbol of the rebellion mounting in the districts, Katniss never loses sight of her commitment to protect her family. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy that has over 36 million copies in print in the U.S. alone. Lionsgate will release The Hunger Games: Catching Fire on November 22, 2013.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of primetime cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 23 shows on 16 networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning "Mad Men," "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie," along with the powerful drama "Boss," the new network series "Nashville" and "Next Caller," the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," its spinoff "Meet the Browns," "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?" and the upcoming "Anger Management," starring Charlie Sheen, and "Orange Is The New Black," an original series for Netflix.
Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first installment of "The Hunger Games" franchise, which has already grossed nearly $650 million at the worldwide box office, "The Expendables," "The Lincoln Lawyer", "Cabin In The Woods," "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family" and "Margin Call." With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, the Company added the blockbuster "Twilight Saga" franchise, which has grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, to a release slate that already included "The Hunger Games," giving Lionsgate the two premier young adult franchises in the world. Recent Summit hits include "Red," "Letters to Juliet," "Knowing," the "Step Up" franchise and the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, "The Hurt Locker."
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment and technology companies, specializing in the creation and delivery of premium, awe-inspiring entertainment experiences. With a growing suite of cutting-edge motion picture and sound technologies, and a globally recognized entertainment brand, IMAX is singularly situated at the convergence of the entertainment industry, innovation and the digital media world. The industry's top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and as such, the IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe. The Company's new digital projection and sound systems - combined with a growing blockbuster film slate - are fueling the rapid expansion of the IMAX network in established markets such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, as well as emerging markets such as China and Russia. IMAX deliver the world's best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX®, IMAX 3D®, and IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-Mastering) technologies. IMAX DMR enables virtually any motion picture to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of March 31, 2012, there were 643 IMAX theatres (510 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 113 institutional) in 52 countries.
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience® and The IMAX Experience® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).
This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX 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, but are not limited to, general economic, market or business conditions, including the length and severity of the current economic downturn, the performance of IMAX DMR films, the opportunities that may be presented to and pursued by IMAX, competitive actions by other companies, conditions in the in-home and out-of home entertainment industries, the signing of theatre system agreements, changes in law or regulations, conditions, changes and developments in the commercial exhibition industry, the failure to respond to changes and advancements in digital technology, the failure to convert theatre system backlog into revenue, new business initiatives, investments and operations in foreign jurisdictions and any future international expansion, the inability to protect IMAX's intellectual property foreign currency fluctuations and IMAX's prior restatements and the related litigation. These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
For additional information please contact:
Business Media: IMAX Corporation – New York Ann Sommerlath 212-821-0155
Sloane & Company – New York Whit Clay 212-446-1864
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Investors: IMAX Corporation – New York Heather Anthony 212-821-0121
Lionsgate Peter D. Wilkes 310-255-3726
Entertainment Media: IMAX Corporation – Los Angeles Christine Tasto 310-255-5547
Principal Communications Group – Los Angeles Melissa Zuckerman/Paul Pflug 323-658-1555
For information about The Hunger Games: Lionsgate- Los Angeles Kate Piliero 310-255-4064
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SOURCE IMAX Corporation
http://www.imax.com
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