HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX will cast its spell in a record 126 IMAX theaters worldwide today (July 11, 2007) and throughout the weekend.
In addition to the usual DMR live-action conversion, there is a 2-D to 3-D conversion for the final 20 minutes, marking the most elaborate live-action stereoscopic presentation thus far.
Strong ticket pre-sales at many IMAX theaters across North America are resulting in sold out shows throughout the opening weekend and some theaters are adding additional shows to accommodate the high demand. The film is also scheduled to open in 17 additional international locations in the coming weeks.
"Releasing this HARRY POTTER film in a record number of North American theaters is a testament to our belief in this movie and the strength of this property," said Dan Fellman, president of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures. "HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX carries on the tradition of this amazing series and we are thrilled to be able to bring it to theatergoers in both conventional and IMAX theaters -- with the special 3-D finale."
"This is the largest simultaneous release in IMAX's 40-year history, and we are delighted to reach this milestone with our partners at Warner Bros. Pictures," added IMAX co-chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "Consumer demand for blockbusters in IMAX has contributed to the growth of the IMAX theater network, and that growth enables us to share this next exciting installment of the HARRY POTTER film series with more moviegoers worldwide."
"HARRY POTTER is truly a global phenomenon, and we are excited to offer to international audiences a new way to experience the series with the finale of HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX presented in IMAX 3-D," said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, president of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
"We are very excited to offer fans of Harry Potter a chance to get transported directly into Hogwarts to experience the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione in a completely unique first-person way," added Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Ent. "Through the magic of IMAX and the vision of David Yates and his crew, moviegoers will already feel as is if they are part of the movie, and we are thrilled to treat them to an even more immersive experience with the finale of the film converted into IMAX 3-D."
IMAX Corp. is one of the world's leading entertainment technology companies, specializing in digital and film-based motion picture technologies. For more information, visit www.imax.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
