Disney has finally confirmed today that we will be seeing Star Wars: Episode VII and Avengers: Age of Ultron in IMAX theaters across the country in 2015. They also revealed a number of other upcoming titles that will also be released in IMAX as Disney expands its relationship with the company. While we know that Avengers: Age of Ultron will also be in 3D, it has yet to be revealed if the latest chapter in the Star Wars will also be presented in 3D. It is likely that portions of it will be shot in the immersive format using IMAX cameras.
Here is the official press release from Disney and IMAX:
IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), today announced an agreement to release several of Disney's upcoming films in IMAX theatres under an extension of the companies' long-running relationship.
Under the agreement, IMAX will be part of Disney's release strategy for its most highly-anticipated live-action tentpole films, including Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 2014), Maleficent (May 2014), Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (August 2014), and Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 2015), Tomorrowland (May 2015) and Star Wars: Episode VII (December 2015).
Alan Bergman, President, the Walt Disney Studios, had this to say:
"Disney has enjoyed a terrific ongoing collaboration with IMAX, and we are thrilled to extend this relationship with a collection of exciting, highly anticipated cinematic events that are perfect for the immersive IMAX format."
Said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond:
"For the last several years, Disney and IMAX have worked together to deliver extraordinary cinematic experiences to audiences around the world. The combination of the great product being created by Disney and the overwhelming enthusiasm of moviegoers to see films in IMAX theatres makes this agreement really exciting."
Said Greg Foster, , Senior Executive Vice President of IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment:
"Disney's and Marvel's larger-than-life characters and dynamic universes clearly resonate with our core audiences. We are delighted to build upon this longtime association and continue to collaborate to bring many of the most iconic and cutting-edge properties in the world to life in the most immersive way possible."
About The Walt Disney Studios
For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel; and Touchstone Pictures, which includes the distribution of live action films from DreamWorks Studios. Through the Home Entertainment division, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!
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 Dec. 31, 2013, there were 837 IMAX theatres (701 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 117 institutions) in 57 countries.