LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) today announced that Universal Pictures' Furious 7 raced into IMAX® theatres with a record-setting $20.8 million on 540 screens worldwide, making it IMAX's highest-ever debut in April. Domestically, Furious 7 grossed a record-setting $13.3 million on 365 IMAX screens while internationally the film scored $7.5 million on 175 IMAX screens during its opening weekend.

The film's overseas debut, which also marked the largest for IMAX in April, came from 48 initial territories, with China, Russia and Japan still to come starting this weekend. Throughout its run, Furious 7 will play at more than 800 IMAX® theatres worldwide — the largest-ever release for a film in IMAX. 

"With this record-setting launch for Furious 7 in IMAX, it's hard to imagine a stronger start to the summer 2015 blockbuster season," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "We'd like to congratulate our partners at Universal Pictures, as well as director James Wan and producers Neal Moritz and Vin Diesel, for creating a highly-charged cinematic event that was perfectly suited to the IMAX format. It's the ideal summer kick-off and we look forward to this momentum growing as the film continues to roll out internationally."

Furious 7, which saw record-breaking results in both 2D and IMAX® 3D internationally, also scored the second-best debut overall for a 2D-only title in domestic IMAX theatres. The film sold out screenings in IMAX theatres across the U.S., including the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Los Angeles, where last week IMAX debuted its revolutionary new laser projection system at the Furious 7 global premiere event.

Furious 7 is the first-ever film to receive a global premiere with laser projection. IMAX has undertaken a significant R&D investment to develop its next-generation projection and sound system, featuring ground-breaking laser technology. IMAX with laser represents a quantum leap forward in cinema technology — providing audiences with the sharpest, brightest, clearest and most vivid digital images ever, combined with a whole new level of immersive audio.

The IMAX® release of Furious 7 will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About FURIOUS 7:
Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Furious 7.

James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. They are joined by international action stars new to the franchise including Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, Nathalie Emmanuel and Kurt Russell. Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell return to produce the film written by Chris Morgan.

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 Dec. 31, 2014, there were 934 IMAX theatres (809 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 106 institutions) in 62 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.

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SOURCE IMAX Corporation