REAL D Reaches Record Audiences

REAL D, a global leader in 3D, has announced that its next-generation 3D cinema experience reaches over 1100 screens as of press time, surpassing the company's previously announced milestone of 1000 screens for the release of Paramount's 'Beowulf' on November 16, and outpacing industry estimates. Most moviegoers who see Beowulf in 3D will see it in REAL D 3D, the largest global 3D cinema platform. Beowulf premiered in REAL D 3D on November 5 in Los Angeles.
"The expansion of REAL D 3D screens to over 1100 is a milestone in bringing the most advanced 3D visual experience to moviegoers everywhere," said Michael V. Lewis, REAL D chairman, CEO, and co-founder. "We estimated that we'd be at 1,000 screens for Beowulf, but we passed that mark in early October. Clearly, the next generation of digital 3D is already here in REAL D."
Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, said: "3D has the opportunity to be the most important innovation in film since the use of color in motion pictures. The rollout of REAL D 3D to well over 1,000 screens globally is the beginning of a very viable and very exciting platform for filmmakers to tell their stories in 3D."
Steve Starkey, ImageMovers, Producer, said: "On the release of the film Beowulf, I think we are about to witness the enormous impact that 3D will have on motion pictures. The creation and the expansion of Real D arrived at a time to fully take advantage of a film that was perfectly suited for the 3-D experience."
REAL D estimates 4,000 to 5,000 REAL D 3D screens globally by 2009.
(DS)