IMAX projects screens in China to rise to 200

Reuters reports:

Giant movie screen maker Imax Corp expects the number of Imax screens in China to more than double in the next two to three years as disposable incomes rise and more Chinese movies are made for the format, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

Imax, which will have 85 screens in mainland China by the end of 2011, will see that number rise to 200 in two to three years, Chief Executive Officer Richard Gelfond told Reuters.

“China is by far our highest growth market in the world….We could probably support at least 400 theatres in China over five years,” Gelfond said, adding that the 400 would be either opened or signed for.

“You have this huge explosion of cinema in China and at the same time the Imax brand is very popular in China and people want to experience the Imax version of the film,” he said.

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UPDATE: More on IMAX’s planned expansion in China:

Reuters: CORRECTED-Imax expects screens in China to rise to 200 in 2-3 years

The Globe and Mail: Imax shifts focus to theatres in China

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