IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX) today announced that Zhejiang Xinyuan Cultural Industry Group Co., Ltd, a large government-run cultural enterprise in the People's Republic of China, has signed an agreement to install a digital IMAX® theatre system at the exhibitor's new 16-screen multiplex in the city of Hangzhou, the capital of China's Zhejian province.
The theatre is scheduled to open in late June, 2010, in time to show Aftershock, the first mainstream Chinese film to be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®. There are currently 26 IMAX theatres open in China, and this deal brings the total number of IMAX theatres scheduled to be open in China to 50 by 2012. The city of Hangzhou is approximately two-hours driving distance from Shanghai.
"The IMAX brand has become very popular with moviegoers in China, and we believe it will be an ideal fit for our new complex in Hangzhou," said Mr. Lei Xiangqiong, Chairman and President of Xinyuan. "The recent box office results of other IMAX theatres in the country show there is a strong demand for The IMAX Experience and we're very excited to feed that demand with IMAX's exciting slate of films, starting with the digitally re-mastered version of the next big anticipated Chinese blockbuster Aftershock."
"The expansion of our Asia-Pacific IMAX network is building momentum as IMAX operators in the region continue to have success with Hollywood films and anticipate the first digitally re-mastered Chinese films," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "We're very happy to enter this partnership with the Zhejiang Xinyuan Cultural Industry Group to offer The IMAX Experience to more moviegoers in Hangzhou City and Zhejiang Province. This new location is expected to be one of the top multiplexes in the Zhejiang province and we believe it will be one of many ideal places in the country to increase the commercial visibility of the IMAX brand."
The new theater will utilize IMAX's digital projection system, which delivers The IMAX Experience and helps drive profitability for studios, exhibitors and IMAX theatres by eliminating the need for film prints, increasing program flexibility and ultimately increasing the number of movies shown on IMAX screens. The system can run both IMAX and IMAX®3D presentations.
About Zhejiang Xinyuan Cultural Industry Group Co., Ltd
Zhejiang Xinyuan Cultural Industry Group Co., Ltd is approved and founded by Zhejiang Provincial People's Government. It is a large-scale state-owned cultural industry group which is supervised by Provincial Cultural Bureau. The group is made up of two parts: 30,000 square meters operating state-owned assets in West Lake Cultural Square which is managed by the Provincial Cultural Bureau, and 13 enterprises under the Provincial Cultural Bureau. The registered capital is 100 million RMB. The Xinyuan Group operates, manages and supervises shareholders' state-owned assets and stocks according to law, maintains and increases their value by capital, financial and business bond. The company will constantly develop cultural resources and operate cultural products, and concentrate efforts on building an influential company in the cultural industry of Zhejiang and even China.