3D Entertainment Distribution proudly announced today that its unique trilogy of underwater-themed films for IMAX 3D and Digital 3D cinemas – OCEAN WONDERLAND (2003), SHARKS 3D: A Close Encounter with the Lions and Tigers of the Ocean (2005) and DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D: Tribes of the Ocean" (2008) -- has reached a new milestone with over $70M cumulated to date at the worldwide box office, and still counting.
Press Release by 3D Entertainment:
Los Angeles, CA (Sept. 10, 2009) -- 3D Entertainment Distribution proudly announced today that its unique trilogy of underwater-themed films for IMAX 3D and Digital 3D cinemas – OCEAN WONDERLAND (2003), SHARKS 3D: A Close Encounter with the Lions and Tigers of the Ocean (2005) and DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D: Tribes of the Ocean (2008) -- has reached a new milestone with over $70M cumulated to date at the worldwide box office, and still counting. The films have been released at IMAX 2D and 3D Theatres and select Digital 3D cinemas in 28 countries thus far.
DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D presented by Jean-Michel Cousteau and featuring a narration by actress and environmentalist Daryl Hannah, was first released in Feb. 2008. The film delivers an important message in favor of the protection of these tribes while they are facing the greatest challenge of all: to survive the destruction of their habitat and depletion of food resources. Its box office score currently stands at $15M and domestic revenue per screen is a healthy $280,500. Said Laurent Dondey, managing director of La Geode in Paris, France, "We are overwhelmed by the film's results! It has been an immediate and solid success since its release at our IMAX theatre on June 10, drawing 60,000 viewers in twelve weeks for a record occupancy rate of 73% throughout."
Launched in 2005, SHARKS 3D, which aims to dispel the negative image these animals have inherited by showing them as they are in their daily lives, boasts the highest gross of the Company's underwater trilogy with $33M in theatrical ticket sales, 20 million of which was generated by the US and Canadian markets. It is estimated that over 5 million moviegoers worldwide have seen SHARKS. Licensed by 95 IMAX theatres, it opened this past spring at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. For Charlotte Brohi, the Museum's VP IMAX Operations, "This film has proven to be a winner with our viewers with 77,000 tickets sold so far. It's a great title that sells itself but it also has that all important element to a successful film exhibition and that is the audience reaction."
OCEAN WONDERLAND 3D, the first installment in the series, opened in 2003. This stunning exploration of the state of the world's coral reefs is now in its seventh successful year of exhibition and recently opened at Cinema City's IMAX Theatre in Sofia (Bulgaria) and Cinemec XL in Ede (Netherlands). The film's cumulative gross has exceeded USD 25 million.
The trilogy is the product of a passionate creative team led by Francois and Jean-Jacques Mantello, the films' producer and director respectively, and which included director of photography Gavin McKinney and musical composer Christophe Jacquelin. All three documentaries are presented in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program and Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society.
About 3D Entertainment:Founded in 2001, 3D Entertainment is a fast-growing company focused on the production; post production, theatrical sales and marketing of innovative 3D films for IMAX theatres and Digital 3D cinemas worldwide. Based in London with a satellite office in Paris, the Company is dedicated to immersing audiences of all ages in engaging, story-driven 3D experiences that inspire and educate. For more information please visit http://www.3defilms.com.
