Building on the momentum of the expanding IMAX® theatre network throughout Europe and Russia, IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and CinemaxX AG today announced an agreement to install a digital IMAX theatre in Bremen, Northern Germany, in November 2010.
The parties also expressed an intention to open at least four additional IMAX theatre systems across Germany in the future. The deal marks IMAX's first joint venture agreement in Germany and builds on the Company's ongoing network expansion across Continental Europe, following the successful roll-out of IMAX theatres with leading exhibitors in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and France.
Today's announcement brings the total number of IMAX theatres scheduled to be operating in The EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Russia and CIS) region to 115. The Company's announced number of theatre systems signings year-to-date has increased to 199 worldwide, which compares to 35 system signings in all of 2009.
"We work hard to bring a further dynamic element to the German exhibition market," said Christian Gisy, CEO of CinemaxX, "IMAX is the next step in our programme to provide German customers with the very best film experience. I am confident that the strong IMAX brand values will help to drive real success in Bremen and beyond, and I look forward to a long and successful partnership with IMAX Corporation in Germany."
"We are excited to be 'seeding' the German market with our new joint venture partner CinemaxX," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "Germany is a large and under-penetrated market for IMAX, and we are pleased to further our development there with a key and established exhibitor partner - a model that has worked well and enabled us to achieve success in other markets across Europe and the rest of the world. I am delighted we are taking this important strategic step in Germany with an exhibitor that has such a clear eye to the future."
"We have seen strong results in our long-operating Potsdamer Platz IMAX in Berlin, and this new initiative will enable us to start bringing The IMAX Experience® to more cinema goers across Germany," added Larry T. O'Reilly, IMAX's Executive Vice President, Theatre Development. "Christian Gisy has assembled a great dynamic team at CinemaxX that has demonstrated real initiative and drive in the German and Danish exhibition market. We are very excited to open this initial location with them and look forward to expanding across the market in future."
IMAX's digital projection system 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.