Marvel's Iron Man 3 Sets Record In China With $1.8 Million Opening Day In 101 IMAX® Theatres

LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation IMAX and Marvel Entertainment, LLC announced today that Marvel's Iron Man 3™ grossed an estimated $1.54 million (￥9,710,312) at 101 IMAX® theatres in China during its first day, Wednesday, May 1. Combined with midnight screenings, the IMAX total box office in China for the film is now $1.8 million, shattering the previous opening-day record set by Titanic in 2012 by 52%.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111107/MM01969LOGO)

The film opens across North America tonight at 9 p.m. local time. 

Iron Man 3's strong first day in IMAX theatres in China also follows its record-breaking IMAX openings last weekend in Brazil, Taiwan, the Philippines, the Netherlands and many other territories. The film opened to $7.2 million in 113 IMAX theatres internationally and grossed a stunning $198.4 million overall, finishing No. 1 in all 42 territories in which it premiered.

"Hats off to Marvel and the Iron Man 3 filmmaking team for creating such a globally appealing film that fans are clearly seeking out in the IMAX format, given our strong percentage of the overall box office," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Entertainment. "We can't wait to see it premiere in North America this weekend."

About IRON MAN 3™
Marvel's Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, Marvel's Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black and is based on Marvel's iconic super hero Iron Man, who first appeared in the pages of "TALES OF SUSPENSE #39" in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with "THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1" in May of 1968.

Marvel's Iron Man 3 is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and DMG Entertainment. Marvel Studios' President Kevin Feige is producing and Jon Favreau, Louis D'Esposito, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard, Alan Fine, Stan Lee and Dan Mintz are executive producers. The film releases May 3, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. You can learn more about Marvel's Iron Man 3 by visiting Marvel's official site at http://marvel.com/ironman3.

About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.  For more information visit marvel.com. 

About The Walt Disney Studios
For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company 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!.  For more information, please visit www.waltdisneystudios.com

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 Mar. 31, 2013, there were 738 IMAX theatres (606 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 113 institutions) in 53 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

For additional information please contact:

SOURCE IMAX Corporation