Due to the strong ties between Imax Corp. and filmmaker Christopher Nolan, several employees have seen his long movie, Beginning, as she prepares to finally make her business bow on August 26.
“Several people at Imax were involved with Beginning in the post-production phase, “CEO Rich Gelfond said Tuesday during a conference call with Wall Street analysts.” His reaction was, ‘OMG, I forgot how cool it was to be in a movie.’ Beginning it’s just a beautifully shot, beautifully made and wonderful movie. … It wasn’t just a person, at an age. Several Imax employees spontaneously told me that. “
Imax expects about 90% of its global network of approximately 1,400 theaters to reopen by the end of August. Beginning, which has been promoted multiple times by Warner Bros, will now open in 70 countries, including Canada, before reaching the US and other territories in September. The film was made entirely with Imax equipment and Nolan has taken advantage of the experience of seeing it in the company’s cinemas, where the dimensions of the screen and the auditorium are large.
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Gelfond did not offer additional details about those advancements, but earlier in the call she noted that Nolan’s movies are over-indexed in the company’s rooms. Dunkirk, its most recent departure in 2017, received 22% of its gross domestic product and 17% of its global journey on Imax screens. “Different to Dunkirk, which was a film focused on Europe, Beginning it’s a more traditional action blockbuster with the potential for broader global appeal, “added the CEO.
Internal descriptions Beginning The reactions came in response to an analyst’s question about the earnings call on company staff to return to theaters. That experience has remained out of reach for fans of American cinema for the past four months. CFO Patrick McClymont added to Gelfond’s comments, noting that “several of our colleagues” were in China last weekend to “test” the refined new theater setup. Imax said 409 of its locations there have been reopened, with several new precautions.
“There are greater security protocols. You certainly notice it, ”McClymont said, employees reported. “Once you sit down and the movie starts, it seems like it always has. It was a fun and immersive experience. Before getting into his seat, there were differences, but once he was there, he felt quite normal. “
Gelfond said Imax’s environment compares favorably to sports stadiums, concert halls or other public places that are drawing intense scrutiny over the COVID-19 broadcast.
“The masks are absolutely crucial,” he said, noting that Imax will continue to urge its exhibition partners to demand them, as AMC, Cinemark and Regal do in North America. Beyond that, “large auditoriums with high ceilings like those seen in Imax theaters compare favorably with small interior spaces such as bars and restaurants. In theaters, social distancing, capacity limitations, and traffic flow they can be managed effectively. Interpersonal contact can be limited. Hours can be staggered, “he said.
Even more crucial, he added, “Sitting in a theater is a relatively static passive breathing experience. You sit quietly, socially estranged according to protocol, with people looking towards the back of each other’s heads, not as a sporting event, where people scream, drink and stand up. And it’s not like live theater. “
Separately, Gelfond was asked about Universal’s revolutionary deal with AMC, which allows movies to switch to premium video on demand after 17 days. He said that “it is not a shocking development” and that it will not have a material impact on Imax and indicated that he will need to consult with other exhibitors on his point of view before determining a position. “We all have to take a breather,” he said, to reopen the theaters “and see how everything shakes up.”
