NEW YORK, April 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) today announced the test launch of IMAXShift, an immersive group cycling concept built around the primary components of The IMAX Experience®.  IMAXShift combines key elements of IMAX technology with industry-leading instructors to immerse participants – from beginners to serious athletes – in a state-of-the-art indoor, audio-visual group cycling experience. The test studio, which is located in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, will open April 28.

IMAXShift will reinvent the indoor cycling experience by offering an immersive, thrilling and effective workout, led by some of the industry's most acclaimed instructors and powered by IMAX's cinema-grade projection and sound technology. The purpose-built studio, which will accommodate up to 50 riders at a time, features IMAX's patented theatre geometry and combines heart-pounding, crystal-clear audio and sharp, hyper-real imagery on the legendary giant IMAX screen to completely immerse riders in a full sensory workout experience.

IMAXShift will be working closely with its instructor team – including industry-leading cycling instructors Jesse Alexander and Bree Branker – and other partners to ensure that every class is a unique content "journey" that augments the fitness regimen and maximizes the workout experience. Participants will feel like they are cycling through the solar system, soaring over the coasts of Hawaii or pedaling to the beat with music-reactive visuals – all designed to pair seamlessly with each instructor's choreography.

"As an instructor, I am always looking for new and innovative ways to motivate my riders and help them get the most out of their fitness journey," said Jesse Alexander. "What excites me the most about IMAXShift is the originality of the experience; by capturing the energy and buzz of an IMAX® theatre in an indoor cycling setting, the workout is truly immersive and no two will ever be the same."

IMAX has committed to the initial studio in Brooklyn, which is well-known as being a community of artists and early adopters and also fits the key demographic, to enable it to assess the concept's commercial viability. If successful, the Company plans to employ a licensing approach similar to the one with which it has so successfully structured its global theatre network.

"Over our nearly 50-year history IMAX has established itself as a leading lifestyle brand and pioneer in blending cutting-edge technology, science and art to create unparalleled entertainment experiences," said Robert D. Lister, Chief Business Development Officer, IMAX Corp.  "As we examined potential areas in which to extend The IMAX Experience, one of the opportunities we identified was the fitness space – where there is a clear growing consumer demand for more engaging group experiences. By incorporating key elements of IMAX's technology and patented theatre design and working with some of today's top fitness instructors to develop fully tailored on-screen workouts, we believe the pilot launch of IMAXShift has the potential to set the stage for a new movement in physical activity and offer participants a workout unlike anything they've experienced before."

For more information and class schedules, please visit www.imaxshift.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 Dec. 31, 2015, there were 1,061 IMAX theatres (943 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 99 institutions) in 67 countries. On Oct. 8, 2015, shares of IMAX China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corp., began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "HK.1970."

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience®, IMAX Is Believing® and IMAX nXos® 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