IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX) and SMI Holding Group Limited, a leading Chinese entertainment and media company that operates theatres under the name Stellar Cinemas, today announced an expansion of the parties' revenue sharing arrangement with the addition of five new IMAX® theatres in China.
The theatres will be installed in new construction projects located in the cities of Chengdu, Ningbo, Zhongshan, Kunming and Wanzhou and will bring the exhibitor's total IMAX commitment to 16 theatres, of which nine are currently open.
"We have been very impressed by the success of our existing IMAX theatres and today's agreement is a reflection of this" said Mr. Zheng Jichong, CEO of SMI Holdings Group Limited. "We believe that the IMAX brand, immersive format and slate of the best Chinese and Hollywood films will attract more guests and set our complexes' apart from competitors."
"We continue to be pleased by the progress of our business in China," said IMAX CEO, Richard L. Gelfond. "As Stellar Cinemas builds on the success of its existing IMAX locations, we take great pride in the confidence that China's leading exhibitors have in IMAX to deliver results with our unrivaled cinematic experience."