In addition to dancing up big numbers at cineplexes worldwide, Warner Bros.’ animated Happy Feet has been very successful at IMAX theaters, where it has earned $10.6 million on just 79 screens in North America. This, combined with receipts from conventional theaters worldwide, has driven the film’s gross to nearly $200 million since its Nov. 17 opening.
Digitally re-mastered with the proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology, Happy Feet will open on an addition 28 IMAX screens internationally and Warner execs are confident that the hit pic will do particularly well during the holiday break.
“The combination of Happy Feet and The IMAX Experience has clearly captured the hearts of moviegoers this holiday season,” says Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We are thrilled that the film has already reached this milestone in IMAX theatres. This accomplishment can be attributed to Warner Bros. Pictures’ talent for marketing. We look forward to further success as the film continues it run across the network of IMAX theatres.”
Having received the thumbs-up from critics associations around the country, Happy Feet has pulled ahead as the frontrunner in the Oscar race for Best Animated Feature. It’s also up for the Golden Globe Award, along with Disney/Pixar’s Cars and Sony’s Monster House.
Happy Feet is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, and is animated largely by Animal Logic in Australia. The film is directed by George Miller (Babe: Pig in the City, Mad Max), who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Collee, Judy Morris and Warren Coleman. The Kennedy Miller production is produced by Doug Mitchell, George Miller and Bill Miller.
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