Positive Word of Mouth Drives Momentum in Experiencing Super 8 in IMAX; Number of Expected International IMAX Screens Rises to More Than 90 From 39

LOS ANGELES, Jun 14, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX) (TSX:IMX) and Paramount Pictures announced today Super 8, from writer/director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg, posted a strong opening weekend result in IMAX theatres, generating $4.1 million from 239 IMAX screens. The overall box office gross for the weekend was $35.4 million, with a total gross domestic box office of $36.4 million to date.

Internationally, the movie earned $6.7 million from 9 international markets in its opening frame, with the 12 IMAX screens grossing $200,000. The film is set to run on approximately 90 IMAX screens overseas by the end of summer -- up from the 39 international screens initially anticipated

"Once again, these results reflect the fact that The IMAX Experience(R) can make a great film even more enjoyable for audiences," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "We're encouraged by the 24 percent increase in our box office from Friday to Saturday, which suggests the impact of positive word of mouth surrounding the IMAX release is building."

"People are loving this movie, and there have been very positive responses across the IMAX network," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "With this uniquely creative story, J.J., Steven and Paramount have provided moviegoers with all the ingredients that make an entertaining IMAX experience. We're very excited to open the film on additional IMAX screens internationally during the weeks ahead, and we're looking forward to word-of-mouth-driven success continuing to build over the coming weeks."

Super 8: The IMAX Experience has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) with proprietary IMAX DMR(R) (Digital Re-mastering) technology for presentation in IMAX. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique immersive environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About Super 8:

In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town set out to make a zombie movie. While shooting their Super 8 film, they witness a catastrophic train crash and, after barely escaping themselves, they soon discover that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town and local Deputy Jack Lamb (Kyle Chandler) tries to uncover the truth -- something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Paramount Pictures Presents an Amblin Entertainment/Bad Robot Production, Super 8, starring Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills.

Super 8 has been rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and some drug use.

About IMAX Corporation

IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment and technology companies, specializing in the creation and delivery of premium, awe-inspiring entertainment experiences. With a growing suite of cutting-edge motion picture and sound technologies, and a globally recognized entertainment brand, IMAX is singularly situated at the convergence of the entertainment industry, innovation and the digital media world. The industry's top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and as such, the IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe. The Company's new digital projection and sound systems - combined with a growing blockbuster film slate - are fueling the rapid expansion of the IMAX network in established markets such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, as well as emerging markets such as China and Russia. IMAX theaters deliver the world's best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX, IMAX 3D, and IMAX DMR (Digital Re-Mastering) technologies. IMAX DMR enables virtually any motion picture to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo and Shanghai. As of March 31, 2011, there were 528 IMAX theatres (408 commercial, 120 institutional) operating in 46 countries.

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IMAX(R), IMAX(R) 3D, IMAX DMR(R), Experience It In IMAX(R), An IMAX 3D Experience(R) and The IMAX Experience(R) are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Important factors that could affect these statements include, but are not limited to, general economic, market or business conditions, including the length and severity of the current economic downturn, the opportunities that may be presented to and pursued by the Company, competitive actions by other companies, the performance of IMAX DMR films, conditions in the in-home and out-of home entertainment industries, the signing of theatre system agreements, changes in law or regulations, conditions, changes and developments in the commercial exhibition industry, the failure to convert theatre system backlog into revenue, new business initiatives, investments and operations in foreign jurisdictions and any future international expansion, foreign currency fluctuations and the Company's prior restatements and the related litigation and investigation by the SEC and the ongoing inquiry by the OSC. These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: IMAX Corporation

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