Sony to Bow 'Spider-Man 3' IMAX Release Day and Date with Theatrical Run

Sony and IMAX announced today that ‘Spider-Man 3’ will be simultaneously be released at both conventional and IMAX theaters when the film debuts next year on May 4th, 2007.

According to IMAX co-chairman Richard Gelfond, the film will be available on at least 100 screens, a significant increase from the 63 screens that ‘Spider-Man 2’ debuted on during its IMAX run. This is the third IMAX release announced by Sony Pictures, with the third being the animated film ‘Open Season,’ which will bow in IMAX on September 29th this year.

In addition to adding valuable screens and significant revenue to a film’s launch, IMAX launches have also become an excellent marketing tool for the studios due to high-level of word-of-mouth that the format generates. For example, the IMAX release of ‘The Polar Express’ was widely credited with reviving the non-IMAX version’s fortunes in late 2004, which boosted theatrical revenues above $100 million and helped the title to become a smash hit on DVD.

Last year, the latest installment of the ‘Harry Potter’ series earned over $16 million in its IMAX run, and ‘Batman Begins’ grossed $15.9 million, according to the-numbers.com.