The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience features six sequences filmed with IMAX(R) cameras. This 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. The follow-up to the action hit Batman Begins, The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne. In the new film, Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets.
“We cracked the code on the film side,” the executive tells TheWrap in this week’s “Office with a View”
While movie going is in spiral, one corner of Hollywood’s box office landscape is defying the downturn: IMAX.
In the face of overall revenues last year of just $10.3 billion, a five percent dip from 2013, the colossally-screened exhibitor has seen exponential growth. In 2008, IMAX introduced “The Dark Knight”to 147 theaters. Four years later, IMAX splashed “The Dark Knight Rises”in 600 theaters.
Today, IMAX plays on more than 800 screens in 60 countries. And while IMAX’s earnings won’t be made public until February, the company has already logged its third commercial film to cross the nine-digit mark: “Interstellar,” Chris Nolan‘s sci-fi opus, took $185 million — more than $100 million of it in IMAX.
In our latest installment of Office with a View, Greg Foster, senior executive vice president and CEO of IMAX Entertainment, spoke with TheWrap about why, at the box office at least, size matters:
TheWrap: Box office took a beating last year, though your
numbers continue to rise. What’s the secret?
Greg Foster:It was a good year. Not a great year,
but a good one. We had some big movies, particularly in the second
half of the year.
“Transformers” was very
strong in China. “Guardians of the Galaxy” was strong everywhere.
I’ve run out of ways to describe how excited we were about being a
part of “Interstellar” (much of it shot on IMAX cameras). And
if you look at “The Hobbit,” it doubled the box office of every
movie over the Christmas season.
“Guardians” was something of a risk and surprise.
That movie solidified rapport with Marvel and Disney. In
early July, we showed 17 minutes exclusively in IMAX, free during
the week, to give people a feel for the movie. When you look at
tracking, that word of mouth really began kicking in then. It was a
bit unknown at the time, and we unleashed the characters. We signed
up (to carry the film) quite far in advance, so we had a chance to
be integrated in the marketing campaign that contributed to the
success of the movie.
What’s been the key to growth?
We cracked the code on the film side. Before, we couldn’t get
enough movies because we didn’t have enough theaters. And we
couldn’t get more theaters, because we didn’t have enough movies.
So we had to change our business model.
To read more of IMAX CEO Greg Foster's interview visit TheWrap.
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