In what amounted to a tacit acknowledgement of IMAX's importance to its bottom line, Warner Bros. announced Wednesday that it had agreed to release up to 20 films in the IMAX format over the next 3 1/2 years in both 3D and 2D formats. Currently all of the major studios have been fighting over the availability of the 188 commercial screens in the U.S. and 80 overseas. "Our track record with IMAX has been incredible, and incorporating 3-D into this collaborative effort will serve as the ultimate experience for our audiences," Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman said in a statement. Among the films scheduled to be released in the format are Legends of the Guardian The Owls of Ga'Hoole 3D (September 24, 2010); Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (3D) (November 19, 2010); Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (3D) (July 15, 2011); Happy Feet 2 (3D) (November 18, 2011); and The Hobbit (December 2013). In a statement, IMAX chief Richard Gelfond observed "This important announcement provides increased visibility into our future film slate, enabling exiSting and potential exhibitors to better know what's 'coming soon' in their IMAX theaters."

29/04/2010