Burbank, CA—Oct 23, 2006
Prominent Los Angeles Theatres Including Grauman’s Chinese and the Village in Westwood
Reinforcing its global leadership in digital cinema, Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS), through its Technicolor Digital Cinema business, today announced it has installed digital projection systems in several Mann Theatres locations in the Los Angeles area as part of its North American beta test of digital cinema equipment.
Technicolor Digital Cinema has installed and is maintaining digital projection equipment at six prominent Mann Theatres locations, including the world-famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood, the Village and Bruin theatres in Westwood Village, the Criterion 6 in Santa Monica, and the Marketplace 4 in Glendale. These theatres are among the most prestigious in the industry and frequently host studio world premieres and other lavish industry events. To date, Technicolor Digital Cinema has managed the digital projection for the movie premieres of Click, Talladega Nights, Superman Returns, Monster House and Miami Vice.
“Technicolor Digital Cinema is very pleased to be working with Mann Theatres in advancing the ongoing development of digital cinema in some of the most high-profile showplaces in the world,” said Joe Berchtold, president of Technicolor Theatrical Services, and head of Technicolor Digital Cinema. “We are also honored to have earned the trust of prominent filmmakers and studios alike, to manage the digital projection of some of the year’s most exciting movie premieres.”
“We are confident in the Technicolor beta test plan and are pleased with the outstanding digital cinema services that Technicolor has provided,” said Peter Dobson, CEO, Mann Theatres. “Our customers expect the highest quality state-of-the-art presentation, and digital cinema even further enhances the movie-going experience.”
The Mann Theatres installations are part of Thomson’s broader rollout of complete digital projection systems in up to 5,000 screens over the next 3-4 years. Thomson intends to equip at least 15,000 screens in the United States and Canada, through the initial rollout and additional phases, over the next 10 years.
All hardware and software placed in each Mann Theatres site will be compliant with industry-standard specifications recently published by the Digital Cinema Initiatives LLC (DCI). Furthermore, the Technicolor Digital Cinema plan is technology agnostic, allowing both exhibitors and studios to benefit from the best available technology, including both 2K and 4K projection. The Thomson-driven initiative encompasses an industry-wide business model and operating infrastructure addressing all aspects of the much-anticipated digital cinema rollout: full-output, long-term content commitments by multiple Hollywood film studios; the widespread deployment of digital projection systems with exhibitors, including Mann Theatres; and a broad industry commitment for the installation, operation, and financing of those systems through a proven, experienced service provider.
As previously announced by Thomson, the company has signed digital cinema equipment usage agreements with DreamWorks SKG, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. to support its plans for the distribution of digital cinema content and systems throughout North America. Under the separate, long-term accords, each of these studios has agreed to distribute content digitally throughout the United States and Canada, and pay a virtual print fee to Thomson for screens equipped with Technicolor Digital Cinema systems, beginning in the second quarter of 2006. Thomson is currently in negotiations with other film studios to expand the range of its non-exclusive content agreements in North America.
