What's Happening: July 2002 - December 2002

December 23, 2002: Patrick Replaces Allen as Head of National Geographic Ventures
Dennis Patrick, a longtime telecommunications industry exec, has been appointed to succeed Richard Allen as the head of National Geographic Ventures, the television and film (including IMAX) arm. For more, click here for the Washington Post story.

December 17, 2002: Big Movie Version of TREASURE PLANET Outperforms 35mm
USA Today reported yesterday (click here for article) that the 70mm version of Disney's Treasure Planet outperformed its 35mm counterpart on a per-screen basis -- earning some $15,000 at each of its 24 U.S. IMAX screens, or some three times more than it earned on conventional screens. [Editor's Note: Treasure Planet also showed in some (mostly 8/70) Big Movie theaters not using IMAX 15/70 equipment, as well as in some Canadian LF theaters, but numbers for those theaters have not been released.) Although the film was widely considered a box office underperformer in general, because it was the first attempt at a simultaneous release some Hollywood studio execs are likely to be looking closely at the relative performance of Treasure on each screen format. IMAX executives have called a simultaneous release of a live-action feature film the "holy grail," and as such have been in discussions with most of the major studios. No announcements have been made as of yet (nor has there been any confirmed releases of older Hollywood films in IMAX after Apollo 13 and Star Wars).

December 16, 2002: Bernard Houle is New Executive Director of Giant Screen Consortium
Neils de Jong Franken, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Giant Screen Consortium (GSC), recently announced the appointment of Bernard Houle to the position of Executive Director, succeeding Normand Mackay. GSC is a non-profit organization created in 2000 with the aim of promoting the development of the Large Format industry in Quebec and Canada. More info on GSC can be found on the group's web site.

December 12, 2002: IMAX Corp. Takes Over Operation of Navy Pier Theater
According to an article appearing in today's Chicago Tribune, IMAX Corporation has signed a five-year deal to operate the Navy Pier IMAX Theater in Chicago, IL. Loews Cineplex Entertainment , which continues to operate IMAX Theaters in three other U.S. locations (Lincoln Center in New York City; Metreon in San Francisco; and Universal City IMAX in a joint venture with Universal Studios, Los Angeles) has operated the theater since its opening five years ago, but declined to renew its agreement. For IMAX, this will become the 12th theater it owns and operates, out of some 225 locations worldwide which use its projectors.

December 2002: MegaSystem Goes Under; Projectors Picked Up by Ballantyne
According to a press release issued December 5th (via BusinessWire and other distribution), Megasystems, the projection system manufacturer and distributor, has permanently halted operations and laid off staff. Ballantyne Systems of Omaha, Nebraska, who primarily manufactures 35mm projectors but has a handful of 70mm projectors installed in Big Movie theaters (under the "Strong" brand), will now market and manufacture Megasystems's projectors.

December 6, 2002: IMAX and Hanks' Playtone to Collaborate on 3D Moon Documentary
IMAX Corporation today announced that Tom Hanks' Playtone (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) had begun working with them on the development of a 3D IMAX documentary detailing how it feels to be on the moon. Currently entitled 'Magnificent Desolation,' the project arose from Hanks' experience with the re-rendering of his 1995 film 'Apollo 13' into IMAX 15/70 format, along with his desire to tell the story of how it actually feels to explore the moon, rather than the challenges of travelling to the moon. For more info, read the IMAX press release or the Variety story.

November 28, 2002: IMAX - Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings?
IMAX Co-CEO Brad Wechsler recently mentioned several possible live-action Hollywood films that the company was considering for release in IMAX theaters next year, including the next 'Harry Potter III' or 'Lord of the Rings' films, and 'Lawrence of Arabia.' (see this article) Either of the first two would mark the first time the company has released a first-run film simultaneously in IMAX and regular theaters, whereas the latter would be another example of a re-released classic along the lines of IMAX's first two live-action re-releases -- Apollo 13 and Star Wars Episode II. With Apollo 13 last September, IMAX debuted its 'DMR' digital re-mastering technology, which allows it to reformat any 35mm film into a version with the requisite clarity, sharpness and size for IMAX screens. (For more on IMAX DMR, see BMZ's interview with IMAX Film Prez Greg Foster).

November 27, 2002: Discovery to Offer Sneak Peak of Cameron's 'Abyss'
According to the Discovery web site, footage shot with high-definition digital cameras by James Cameron's crew last year, in its expedition profiling the shipwrecks TITANIC and BISMARCK, will be shown in a documentary on Discovery HD Theater December 16. While this TV version, entitled "James Cameron's Expedition: Bismarck," is the first finished piece delivered to the public, the footage will also be made into a theatrical movie -- Ghosts of the Abyss -- set to premiere April 11, 2003. The film will be distributed to Big Movie (70mm) 2D and 3D theaters, as well as to conventional 35mm 2D and specially-formatted 3D digital houses.

November 2002: 3 Big Movies to Show in HD on Discovery
For the first time ever, three 70mm films have been transferred to High-Definition TV format. According to TV Technology (click here for the complete article), the three Big Movies -- The Human Body, Africa's Elephant Kingdom, and Wildfire: Feel the Heat -- will be telecast this Fall on Discovery Network's new HDTV channel, Discovery HD Theater.

November 11, 2002: VFX 2002 Coming Nov. 21 - 24
The 2002 edition of the VFX Conference, Europe's premiere visual and special effects conference, will take place November 21-24 in London, U.K. The conference will feature a Large Format section, including presentations around films such as Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey, Santa vs. the Snowman, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Bugs 3-D. For more info, click here to read the press release.

November 5, 2002: Star Wars II in IMAX Grosses $1.4 Million in First Weekend
In its first weekend, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones in IMAX grossed over $1.4 million on 58 screens, a per-screen average of over $24,000. By contrast, the first live-action Hollywood film to receive IMAX's DMR(R) (digital remastering) process, Apollo 13 took in about $10,000 per screen its first weekend. While Star Wars' numbers are impressive, it remains to be seen whether the high figures represent the initial rush of the Star Wars fanatics, or will continue to be strong. Click here for more info.

November 5, 2002: IMAX Corp. Reports 3rd-Quarter Earnings
IMAX Corporation today announced results from its third fiscal quarter (ended September 30, 2002), reporting operating losses of $0.13 per share and net losses of $0.97 per share. Both humbers are significant decreases from year-ago figures, and the company continues to affirm profitable guidance for fiscal 2002. For more, click here for the press release.

October 30, 2002: IMAX Signs Deal With Regal; 5 LF Theaters to be Converted Back to IMAX
In an agreement announced today by IMAX Corporation, 5 theaters owned by Regal Entertainment Group (RGC) that had been converted from IMAX to a competing Big Movie projection system will be converted back to the IMAX format. The locations include 4 Edwards Cinemas (Irvine, CA; Ontario, CA; Valencia, CA; Houston, TX) as well as the United Artists Theater in King of Prussia, PA. A lawsuit between Edwards and IMAX in 2001, involving the bancruptcy of Edwards, had resulted in Edwards' rejection of its lease agreements with IMAX, and the ensuing installation of Kinoton 8/70 projectors. The current agreement marks the end of the lawsuit between IMAX and Regal (parent company which owns Edwards, UA and Regal Theaters).
Click here for the IMAX press release.

October 23, 2002: IMAX, MLB and Mandalay to Make Baseball Film
IMAX Corporation has struck a deal with Major League Baseball (MLB) and Mandalay Entertainment to create an IMAX film entitled "Baseball: The Global Game." According to Variety, the film will be a 45-minute documentary chronicling "the history and evolution of the game, focusing on the cross-cultural significance of baseball in Japan, Latin America and the United States." IMAX retained Creative Artists Agency (CAA) last summer to advance plans for re-mastering Hollywood films -- but as the agent for this deal, it appears that the partnership has served a wider purpose.
Click here for more.

October 16, 2002: IMAX Signs Deals For First South American Theaters
As part of its growing international expansion (the majority of new theater openings and signings are now abroad), IMAX Corporation today announced four new theater signings in South America.
Click here to read the press release.

October 2002: Ocean Oasis Wins Wildscreen Festival Award
Ocean Oasis took this year's Large Format "Panda Award" at the environmentally-themed Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol, UK. The Festival, nicknamed the "Green Oscars," gave last year's LF Award to Alaska: Spirit of the Wild. More info can be found at the festival's web site.

October 14, 2002: 6 Honored for Lifetime Contributions to GSTA & Big Movie Industry
During the 25th Anniversary Celebration event of this year's Giant Screen Theater Association (GSTA) conference (the annual meeting of the Big Movie industry's oldest and largest trade organization), six individuals were recognized for their lifetime contributions to GSTA and the industry. They included the four founding fathers of IMAX Corporation -- Graeme Ferguson, Robert Kerr, Roman Kroitor, and William Shaw; pioneering theater builder Michael Sullivan; and longtime leading producer/director Greg MacGillivray, of MacGillivray Freeman Films.

October 10, 2002: NASCAR in IMAX to be in 3D
At the annual GSTA Big Movie industry conference early this month, IMAX Corporation announced that its film in production, NASCAR: The Film (wt), originally announced as a 2D film, would be shot in 3D. The company also showed some initial footage during the films-in-progress session, and said the film would release in 2003.

October 4, 2002: IMAX(R) Inducts THE DREAM IS ALIVE into its Hall of Fame; Awards Co-Founder William Shaw with Founders' Award
During the awards dinner for the 2002 GSTA Conference last night, IMAX Corporation Co-CEOs Richard Gelfond and Bradley Wechsler gave out the company's annual "Maximum Image" awards. The 1985 classic THE DREAM IS ALIVE beat out BEAVERS, BLUE PLANET, ROLLING STONES AT THE MAX and TO THE LIMIT for induction into the IMAX Hall of Fame. IMAX also gave the Founders' Award to co-founder William C. Shaw, the engineer behind the development of the original IMAX projection system and many of the company's subsequent technological innovations. Past winners have included IMAX co-founders Roman Kroitor and Graeme Ferguson, as well as NASA's Daniel S. Goldin, the Cinesphere at Ontario Place (first permanent IMAX Theatre), and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (first IMAX Theatre in an institutional/museum setting). Shaw, who recently passed away due to a heart attack, was represented by his wife, Barbara, son Scott and daughter Cami Kucera. GSTA also gave out its annual film and "MAC" (Marketing & Creative Achievement) awards during the gala event, which took place in the Sheraton Centre Toronto (see below for more on the GSTA Awards).

October 4, 2002: Annual GSTA Achievement Award Winners Announced
The Giant Screen Theater Association (GSTA), the oldest and largest association for the Big Movie industry, announced the winners of its annual achievement awards during the awards dinner for its annual conference, held in Toronto. Awards, voted on by GSTA members, were given out for Best Film (SPACE STATION), Best Cinematography (SPACE STATION), Best Soundtrack (JOURNEY INTO AMAZING CAVES) and Best Film For Learning (THE HUMAN BODY). Other awards were given out for marketing and creativity ('MAC Awards'), distribution and best film launch.
Click here for the press release.

September 26, 2002: MacGillivray Announces New Slate of Films
MacGillivray Freeman Films today announced an upcoming film slate for 2004-2006 of five films, only two of which have been previously announced at industry conferences. The films are:

• Greece: Secrets of the Past (Release date: Spring 2004)
• The Heart of India (2004)
• Ocean Planet (2005)
• The Blue Nile (2005)
• Space Journey (2006)
  
  These films will follow MFF's next two releases, CORAL REEF ADVENTURE and TOP SPEED, both due to release in Spring 2003. For more info, read the press release.

September 10, 2002: Fox Says 'Star Wars' to Hit 70 IMAX Theaters; Fox Also Planning a Simultaneous Release 'Eventually'
As reported by Daily Variety today, Twentieth Century Fox distribution executive Bruce Snyder said that the reformatted IMAX version of Star Wars - Episode II will be released in "more than 70 giant-screen theaters Nov. 1." The breakdown is "about 50 Imax commercial venues in the U.S. and Canada, and another 20-30" institutionally-based Imax venues, according to the Variety article. This compares to only 20-25 theaters who have chosen to exhibit IMAX's first digitally-remastered Hollywood film, Apollo 13. (Neither film is being distributed outside of North America.) If true (IMAX has yet to release an official list of bookings), the far greater number of theaters choosing to show Star Wars over Apollo 13 likely stems from the former's large cult following, and the fact that it was originally released so recently (in May of 2002). Fox's Snyder also revealed that the studio will release a new film simultaneously in IMAX Theaters "evenutally," and Warner Brothers is also said to be considering a simultaneous release. No specific titles have been confirmed, but rumor has it that Fox's February release "Daredevil" is under consideration. IMAX has recently called the simultaneous release of first-run Hollywood films in IMAX Theaters the "holy grail" for the company.

September 10, 2002: NWF Consolidates Distribution in VA; Capelle Leaves
National Wildlife Federation, a producer and distributor of nature-based Large Format Films, today announced that its Oregon distribution office would close on October 18, and that all distribution activities would be consolidated at NWF's Reston, VA headquarters. Ed Capelle, head of the Oregon distribution office, has chosen not to relocate to Virginia, citing "personal reasons." For the complete press release, click here.

September 9, 2002: Star Wars, Episode II to be Released in IMAX Theaters
IMAX Corporation, 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm Ltd. today announced that "Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones" would be digitally remastered for release in IMAX Theaters. Rumors of the re-formatting of the film, first released ot 35mm theaters last May, began to surface last summer on the Star Wars fan site TheForce.net. IMAX would not confirm the reports at that time, but today said the film would be made available to its U.S. and Canadian theaters "for the holiday season beginning November 1, 2002." After Apollo 13: The IMAX Experience, Episode II is the second live-action Hollywood film that IMAX will convert using its patent-pending DMR(TM) (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Apollo 13 opens September 20, and will show for a limited run of six weeks, which means that Star Wars will open while Apollo 13 is still in theaters. IMAX films and other Big Movies are generally leased at a given theater for four to six months at minimum, and are often in active distribution for two to three years or more. However, IMAX appears to be adopting a different strategy with its DMR re-releases -- Apollo 13's primary run will last for just six weeks, and by saying that Star Wars is coming "this holiday season," IMAX is likely planning to show it for only six to eight weeks as well (the length ot its run has yet to be confirmed, though). For its part, Disney's 70mm version of the animated film Treasure Planet will likewise get only a six-week limited release in Big Movie Theaters, but in its case it's being released as a new film, simultaneously with the 35mm version. (IMAX has indicated a strong desire to reformat a live-action Hollywood film for simlultaneous release in 35mm and 70mm IMAX Theaters, but has yet to announce a deal.)
Click here to read the IMAX press release.
For more on the implications of IMAX's strategy to re-format live-action Hollywood films, click here.

September 4, 2002: Wickstrom Joins nWave Pictures Distribution
nWave Pictures today announced that John Wickstrom, most recently of the Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago, will join their Big Movie distribution company as co-distributor. In his new position, Wickstrom will work with and report to Mark Katz, President of nWave Pictures Distribution. Click here to read the press release.

September 4, 2002: Space Station the Fastest-Grossing IMAX(R) 3D Film
IMAX Corporation today announced that the 3D IMAX(R) film Space Station, which it produced and distributes, had become the fastest-grossing IMAX 3D film in history, taking in $27 million in 19 weeks of release. Click here to read the press release.

September 4, 2002: First IMAX(R) Theater in Russia
IMAX Corporation today announced that it has signed an agreement for the first IMAX(R) Theater in Russia, to be located in Moscow. The 3D theater, slated to open in January 2003, will be part of a large shopping mall, alongside a 4-screen multiplex, shops, food courts and more. Click here to read the press release.

September 4, 2002: Desert IMAX Attendance up 34% in August
The Desert IMAX Theatre in Cathedral City, CA today announced that its August attendance had increased 34% versus August 2001. Year-to-date attendance is also up, by 28% versus the first eight months of 2001. In recent years, the theater has struggled with declining attendance and managment/ownership changes, but with 8 straight months of attendance increases (versus the year-ago month), the situation has undoubtedly reversed itself. Click here for the press release.

August 27, 2002: VFX 2002 Still Has LF Presentation Spots Open
The International Special and Visual Effects Conference, Europe's premier Visual and Special Effects conference, will be held this year in London from November 22 through November 24. Known as "VFX," among many other aspects the expo will feature a Large Format segment, with the theme 'The Power of Raw Effects.' As there are still presentation spots open in the LF area, interested parties are encouraged to contact BKSTS on the numbers provided in the press release.

August 22, 2002: Glasgow to Host GSTA 2003
The Giant Screen Theater Association (GSTA), the oldest and largest industry association for Big Movies, today announced that Glasgow Science Centre in Scotland had been confirmed as the site for the 2003 annual Conference. The 2003 show was originally to be held in Auckland, New Zealand. However, the theater stopped showing Big Movies earlier this year, and since a re-open date has not yet been set, a new location had to be chosen. This year's conference will be held from Sept. 30 - Oct. 4 in Toronto.
Click here for the complete press release.

August 12, 2002: Tech Museum's IMAX Screens Used for Video Games
In what is believed to be the first instance of an IMAX screen being used in this capacity, the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA will allow contestants who have passed qualifying rounds to in its "MaxGames" tournament to compete for final prizes in games projected on its domed IMAX Screen. For more details on the August 15th event, visit the MaxGames web site.

August 7, 2002: IMAX Reports Profitable Second Quarter Results
IMAX Corporation today released financial results for its fiscal second quarter, revealing net earnings of nine cents a share (versus a net loss of 37 cents a share in the year-ago period). The company pointed to the strong box office performance of Space Station ($21 million in its first 16 weeks), and the opening of theaters in China and Europe, as drivers of its second-quarter profit, but made a point of looking ahead to greater profits next year as a result of its new DMR technology. (Ed.: see news brief below)
Read IMAX press release.
Read Reuters news story.

August 6, 2002: IMAX Makes Deal with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
In a move to further its aim of getting first-run Hollywood features simultaneously released in IMAX 70mm format , (a step co-CEO has previously called the "Holy Grail" for the company), IMAX Corporation today announced a deal with top Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Apollo 13, slated for a September 20th release, will be the first live-action Hollywood film to be reformatted utilizing the company's patent pending DMR (Digital Re-Mastering) technology, but the company has said it would like to release up to six remastered films per year. CAA has strong relationships with the studios, directors and actors that IMAX feels will help secure future films for simultaneous 70mm and 35mm release. (Disney will be the first producer/distributor to test a simultaneous release when Treasure Planet debuts to 35mm and 70mm theaters this November.)
Read IMAX press release.
Read Reuters news story.

August 6, 2002: Montreal World Film Festival to Have IMAX Category for First Time
For the first time, the Montreal World Film Festival has created a category dedicated to 70mm Big Movies (called "Supreme IMAX"). The 26th Annual edition of the festival will be held from August 22 to September 2, and the Big Movies to be voted on will include Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West; Horses: The Story of Equus; and Skydance.

August 2, 2002: Record 21 New Films to be Shown at GSTA
The Giant Screen Theater Association (GSTA) yesterday announced that a record 20 new films would be presented at its annual conference in Toronto, scheduled for Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 2002. Nine of the films have never before been presented to a large industry group: Santa vs. the Snowman, S.O.S. Planet, Blue Magic 3D, Apollo 13: The IMAX Experience, Adrenaline Rush: The Science of Risk, Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey, Straight Up: Helicopters in Action, Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees, and India: Kingdom of the Tiger. The six other full-length films released earlier this year and shown at one or more industry conferences already include Australia: Land Beyond Time, Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa, Space Station, Horses: The Story of Equus, Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West, and Skydance. Finally, on the last day of the conference six new short films will be shown: The Trip, In Five Minutes, The Feature, One Night in My Dreams, The Explorer's Club, Kansas City Presents, and Celebrate Detroit. For more information on GSTA and its annual conference, visit giantscreentheater.com.

August 1, 2002
The Moscow Times today reported that the first IMAX Theater in Russia is coming next winter to Moscow. Click here to read the article.

July 31, 2002: GSTA Re-Issues Film Award Nominees
In a letter sent to its members, the Giant Screen Theater Association (GSTA), the oldest and largest organization of the Big Movie industry, stated that it had made mistakes in its original list of film award nominees for Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Film for Lifelong Learning and Best Soundtrack. Several films -- including Dolphins, Water & Man, All Access and Ultimate G's -- had been declared eligible even though they'd been released before the stated time window. Others -- including Lost Worlds and Legend of Loch Lomond -- had been wrongfully omitted. Members will be asked to vote again using the corrected list of films, but due to time constraints voting will contain only one round this time around. (In the first vote, there were two rounds, with the first reducing the list to five finalists in each category.) The award-winning films will be announced at the annual conference, taking place Sept. 30 - Oct. 4 in Toronto.

July 29, 2002: Congress Furious Over Smithsonian Theater Renaming for Lockheed
Reports today emerged that at least some high-up members of Congress are deeply disturbed by the Smithsonian Institution's renaming of its Air & Space IMAX Theater for corporate donor Lockheed Martin. In April of this year, the theater formerly known as the Samuel P. Langley Theater (Langley was a famous aviator and the third Smithsonian secretary) was renamed the Lockheed Martin Theater, after an $18 million sponsorship deal involving the Space Station IMAX film, the new aviation museum being built at Dulles Airport, and other components. The Congress members felt Smithsonian was at fault to take the name off in the interest of corporate sponsor money, because the organization is 70% publicly-funded. For the complete story, click here.

July 17, 2002: Euromax Complaint Against IMAX Dismissed by EC
In a press release issued today, IMAX Corporation announced that a complaint brought against it by Euromax, a European association of IMAX and other Big Movie theaters, has been dismissed by the European Commission. To read the entire press release, click here.

July 12, 2002: GSTA 2002 Film Award Nominees Announced
The Giant Screen Theater Association (GSTA), the largest industry association for IMAX and other large format theaters, has released the nominees for its Film Awards, given each year at its annual conference. (This year's conference will take place Sept. 30 - Oct. 4 in Toronto.) In the first round of voting, association members were asked to select the top five films in each of three categories: Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Soundtrack. 24 films released between May 1, 2000 and April 30, 2002 were eligible, and a second round of voting has begun to select the winner amongst each group of finalists. For Best Film, the nominees are: Dolphins, The Human Body, Journey into Amazing Caves, Ocean Men: Extreme Dive, and Space Station. For Best Cinematography, the nominees are: Human Body, Amazing Caves, Ocean Men, Ocean Oasis and Space Station. For Best Soundtrack, the nominees are: Beauty and the Beast, Dolphins, The Human Body, Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure, and Space Station. [Note: Last year's winners were: Best Film: Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure; Best Cinematography: Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure; Best Soundtrack: All Access.]

July 10, 2002: Principal Photography Begins on BUGS
Principal photography on the giant screen film BUGS! has begun in Malaysia, it was announced yesterday by Principal Large Format's Phil Streather, the film's producer, and executive producer Jonathan Barker of SK FIlms. BUGS!, an "entertaining and educational foray into the insect world," is set to release in Spring 2003 in both 3D and 2D. For more information, click here to read the press release.

July 9, 2002: Desert IMAX Theater Attendance Up More Than 36%
The Desert IMAX Theater today announced that attendance is up more than 36% over the first six months of 2001, a spike it attributes to increased marketing efforts and better film selection. The theater, has struggled financially in recent years due to plummeting attendance and ownership changes. For more information, contact Mark Landon at (909) 986-7502, or mark@landonagency.com.

July 2, 2002: Star Wars: Episode II in IMAX?
Star Wars afficionado site TheForce.net reported yesterday that sources from 20th Century Fox Australia have confirmed an upcoming release of Episode II, "Attack of the Clones" in 70mm IMAX format. According to the report, the film will first be released in London at the end of July, followed by other European countries in early August and Asian locations in mid-August. Australia and the US will reportedly have to wait until September. TheForce.net further speculates that the IMAX version, made possible by the company's new DMR(TM) digital remastering technology, may contain additional scenes not used in the 35mm version. If this report proves true (IMAX Corporation has yet to confirm or deny the news), the film would be the second major Hollywood release after Apollo 13 to be reformatted using IMAX DMR. The September U.S. release of Star Wars II in IMAX appears somewhat unlikely, however, coming so soon after an anticipated August release of Apollo 13.

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