Mumbai: Imax Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced that the studio’s summer box office hit, The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, directed by Christopher Nolan, shattered opening box office records on 94 Imax screens during its debut.
The Imax release contributed $6.3 million of the $158.4 million that the film grossed at the domestic box office, on a total of 94 North American screens this weekend. The picture posted a domestic Imax per screen average of $67,036. Internationally, the picture generated approximately $725,000 from 15 Imax theatres, and it is scheduled to open in 24 more Imax locations in the coming weeks. The film’s worldwide Imax opening total was a record-breaking $7 million.
"The results from both Imax and conventional theatres are phenomenal," said Warner Bros. Pictures domestic distribution president Dan Fellman. "Chris Nolan’s Imax vision has resonated with all audiences, and it has turned a highly anticipated theatrical release into a spectacular event."
"The international response to the film, particularly in Imax, has been incredibly positive, with numerous sold out shows and very strong advance ticket sales," said Warner Bros. Pictures International Distribution International Distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek.
"Chris Nolan and Warner Bros. Pictures have delivered a groundbreaking film that put Imax theatres at full capacity over the weekend, even after adding many extra shows," said Imax co-chairmen and co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "This remarkable film shows the real potential of the Imax theatre network, which we expect to grow significantly in the next few years."
"This project has been perfectly executed on all levels," added Imax Filmed Entertainment chairman and president Greg Foster. "Everyone involved has done an exceptional job. We’re so happy with the results and very proud to be a part of such a big success."
The Dark Knight: The Imax Experience features six sequences filmed with Imax cameras, which marks the first time ever that a major feature film has been even partially shot using Imax cameras, marking a revolutionary integration of the two film formats.
