SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX; TSX: IMX) and Lionsgate's (NYSE: LGF) Summit Entertainment label today announced the stylized assassin film John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released in domestic IMAX® theatres starting Oct. 24.

Directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, both of whom worked with Reeves as stunt technicians on all three of The Matrix films, John Wick tells the story of a retired assassin (Reeves) who, after suffering a deadly loss, returns to the fray to hunt down the gangsters who wronged him. The film co-stars Willem Dafoe, Michael Nyqvist, Adrianne Palicki, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane ‎and Bridget Moynahan.

John Wick, which screened last month at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, marks the first IMAX domestic roll-out for Reeves since The Day the Earth Stood Still in 2008 and the second and third Matrix films more than five years prior.

"We are over the moon that John Wick will play in IMAX theatres," said Lionsgate's President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Richie Fay. "This film is loaded with non-stop action and excitement, but full of heart; it really exploded out of Fantastic Fest and we cannot wait to share it with audiences around the country."

"John Wick is a fun action romp, complete with a tremendously entertaining performance by Keanu Reeves that is perfect for IMAX fans," said Phil Groves, Senior Vice President, IMAX Corp and Executive Vice President of Global Distribution, IMAX Entertainment. "There's no better place for audiences to experience the film's stylized storytelling than in IMAX theatres."

The IMAX release of John Wick 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.

About John Wick
An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet riddled playground, John Wick (Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take on the assassin genre.

Leitch and Stahelski also produced the film, along with Basil Iwanyk, Mike Witherill and actress-producer Eva Longoria. John Wick will be released theatrically in North America on Oct. 24.

About Lionsgate
Lionsgate, home to The Hunger Games, Twilight and Divergent franchises, is a premier next generation global content leader with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has more than 30 television shows on over 20 different networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse Jackie, the comedy Anger Management, the broadcast network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show and the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New Black.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first two installments of The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the first installment of the Divergent franchise, Now You See Me, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, Warm Bodies, The Possession, Sinister, Roadside Attractions' A Most Wanted Man and Pantelion Films' breakout hit Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of June 30, 2014, there were 868 IMAX theatres (735 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 114 institutions) in 59 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® 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 IMAX 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. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

For additional information please contact:

Media:
IMAX Corporation - New York
Ann Sommerlath
212-821-0155
asommerlath@imax.com

Entertainment Media:
Principal Communications Group - Los Angeles
Melissa Zukerman/Paul Pflug
323-658-1555
melissa@pcommgroup.com
paul@pcommgroup.com

For Summit Entertainment:
Mike Rau
310-255-3232
mrau@lionsgate.com

Investors:

IMAX Corporation – New York

Teri Loxam

212-821-0110

tloxam@imax.com

Business Media:

Sloane & Company – New York

Whit Clay

212-446-1864

wclay@sloanepr.com

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SOURCE IMAX Corporation