SANTA MONICA, Calif. and TORONTO – IMAX Corporation, one of the world’s leading entertainment and technology companies, and Lionsgate, a leading global entertainment company, today announced that Lionsgate’s blockbuster film The Hunger Games will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released in China in 67 IMAX® digital theatres in June.
The film will be released nationwide in China, under the new revenue sharing terms outlined in the recently announced WTO agreement, in both dubbed and subtitled prints by China Film Group Corporation in conjunction with Huaxia Film Distribution Co. Ltd., with assistance from Lionsgate’s promotional partner in the region, Talent International.
The Hunger Games has already grossed nearly US$400 million at the North American box office, making it the 14th highest-grossing film of all time, and it is approaching US$650 million at the worldwide box office. The film is the first in a franchise based on the wildly popular trilogy of books by author Suzanne Collins, which has already generated more than 36.5 million copies in print in the United States alone and has developed a massive fan base.
“The Hunger Games launch in China underscores the franchise’s continued emergence as a truly global phenomenon, and we’re delighted to extend our successful partnership with IMAX around the globe to offer moviegoers in China a unique, world-class experience,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman. “We’re thrilled that we can introduce the film to the Chinese movie-going public in the premium IMAX format that celebrates its status as a special and memorable event.”
“The Hunger Games has received critical and public acclaim and is one of the most successful franchises in recent history,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We’re excited that Chinese audiences will have the opportunity to experience this film in IMAX, which is the most immersive environment in cinema.”
The IMAX release of The Hunger Games will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.
