IMAX Corporation, Paramount Pictures, Shangri-La Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that Beowulf, the latest film from Academy Award winning director Robert Zemeckis, the filmmaker behind such box office successes as Forrest Gump, The Polar Express, the “Back To The Future” series and What Lies Beneath, will be released domestically in IMAX® 3D simultaneously with the motion picture’s premiere in conventional theatres on November 16, 2007. The film will be released internationally within three weeks of the domestic launch.
Beowulf will be digitally converted into IMAX 3D and re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Paramount Pictures will be the distributor of the motion picture to IMAX® theaters domestically, and Warner Bros. Pictures will be the distributor internationally.
Inspired by the 9th century English epic poem, Beowulf combines a digitally enhanced live-action filmmaking technology with an all-star cast that includes Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman and Angelina Jolie. Neil Gaiman (MirrorMask, the graphic novel “Sandman”) and Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction) adapted the legend for the screen.
“IMAX 3D has enabled us to tell stories in a whole new way, and we are very excited to offer moviegoers a chance to experience ‘Beowulf’ in this incredible format,” said Robert Zemeckis. “IMAX lends itself to the incredible image detail in ‘Beowulf’ and in 3D, it will transport the audience directly into the story.”
“IMAX has provided the world’s most spectacular 3D presentations for more than two decades, and as we continue to work with world-class organizations like Paramount Pictures, Shangri-La Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures on groundbreaking 3D projects, we’re reinforcing IMAX 3D as the gold standard,” said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. “Audiences loved the last IMAX 3D release we did with Robert Zemeckis, so we’re obviously very optimistic about the potential ‘Beowulf’ holds for the IMAX theatre network.”
“Our partners at Paramount Pictures, Shangri-La Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures have done a fantastic job of combining the 3D-savvy vision of Robert Zemeckis with a great cast, and we believe that moviegoers are going to love it in IMAX theatres,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “The unique geometry of IMAX theatres will enable audiences to feel as if they are actually in the movie as they experience it in IMAX 3D.”
