Star Trek shatters virtually every IMAX box office record

IMAX and Paramount Pictures announced yesterday that Star Trek: The IMAX Experience, directed by J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III, Lost, Alias), shattered virtually every opening weekend IMAX box office record, posting $8.5 million from 138 IMAX theatres domestically. The limited IMAX run registered a per screen average of approximately $62,000 for the weekend, marking the highest grossing Friday, Saturday and Sunday ever for an IMAX opening. IMAX’s domestic opening contributed 11% of the hit film’s overall domestic box office gross of $79.2 million on less than 2% of the screens.

The IMAX release also broke records internationally, generating more than $1.1 million from 25 IMAX screens, for a per screen average of $44,000, bringing the worldwide IMAX box office to $9.6 million.

Star Trek has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR technology.

“This weekend demonstrates that, regardless of whether a film is in 2D or 3D, the power of The IMAX Experience continues to drive audiences at record levels to IMAX theatres worldwide,” added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “Paramount Pictures really understands the power of bringing two great brands together, especially with a visionary director like J.J. Abrams, who had the foresight to recognize that IMAX and Star Trek are a perfect match. He has created an amazing film that perfectly aligns The IMAX Experience with Star Trek fans in addition to a much wider audience that reaches beyond devoted Trekkies.”

In other IMAX news, AICN posted an interesting article about what they call “Fake IMAX”. This is the first I’m hearing of this, as all the IMAX films I watch are on one the IMAX-owned originals at Palisade Center in Rockland, New York. It’s fucked up though, if some people, who don’t have access to one of these screens, get anything less than the full-blown expereience. Apparently some of the new theatres in the recent expansion, aren’t up to true IMAX standards. I love IMAX, so I hope this is rectified quick. This technology, along with Real-D, is the future of tent-post cinema, as far as I’m concerned. CLICK HERE to read what Harry Knowles has to say on the subject.