AMC Entertainment will add up to 18 IMAX locations to its national network of theaters, the companies said Tuesday.
The move comes days before "The Dark Knight Rises'" Thursday midnight premiere. The hotly anticipated superhero sequel boasts 72 minutes of footage filmed on an IMAX camera and is expected to enhance the company's profile.
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The expansion will come under the pair's existing joint revenue-sharing agreement and will include the construction of eight IMAX outposts with the option for additional theaters further down the road.
The pact brings AMC’s total IMAX commitment to 138 theaters.
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The eight confirmed locations are expected to be in Charlotte, North California; Monmouth, New Jersey; Dearborn, Michigan; Niles and Crestwood, Illinois; and San Francisco, Redondo Beach and Anaheim, California. At least three are expected to open by the end of 2012.
“The IMAX footprint still has runway for growth in the U.S. and we are pleased to expand into these new markets with our biggest and long-time partner, AMC,” Richard L. Gelfond, CEO of IMAX Corporation, said in a statement.