Warner Bros. Makes Its All-Digital Projection Debut Today With “The Perfect Storm” In Three Countries

(July 28, 2000 – Burbank, CA) - Warner Bros. Pictures’ box office sensation “The Perfect Storm” will be the first film from Warner Bros. to be shown in an all-digital projected format. Today (28), the epic adventure will make its public digital debut in three cinemas in the UK (coinciding with the UK premiere) as well as in two screens in Canada and 11 in the United States. The announcement was made by Chris Cookson, Warner Bros.’ Chief Technology Officer; Richard Fox, Executive Vice President, International, Warner Bros.; Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Tad Marburg, Vice President, Warner Bros. Technical Operations and the Studio’s Technology Manager for Digital Cinema. “As is our practice, Warner Bros. is committed to developing and exploiting technology for the betterment of the entertainment experience,” said Cookson. “‘The Perfect Storm’ is a film that broke its own technological barriers with the simulation of the terrifying storm that dominates the story and, thus, serves as a prime model to fully study the capabilities and audience response to digital projection.” “This field demonstration is an integral step in our efforts to continue to push the barriers of what can be done in cinema as we forge the path that takes the moviegoing experience to the next level,” said Marburg. “Warner Bros. is strategically as well as creatively committed to being at the forefront of new technology.” “The UK portion of the ‘test’ is especially important to the research and develop process,” said Fox. The UK provides us the opportunity to use our own state-of-the art theatres and, therefore, we can more fully assess the technology as well as more closely monitor and measure the audience reaction.” “This exciting new technology could not only revolutionize the motion picture experience, but also the marketing and distribution of films all over the world. It will insure picture and sound quality throughout even the longest runs as well as cut millions and millions of dollars out of the very high cost of distribution,” Fellman said. “We are very excited about this test because the spectacular, cutting-edge technology utilized in the feature film and the enormous appeal to the same demographic that are proven early of adopters of digital technology. All of this makes ‘The Perfect Storm’ uniquely appropriate for our first public evaluation.” Utilizing the most advanced system available, DLP Cinema™ from Texas Instruments and Technicolor, “The Perfect Storm” will screen digitally in the UK at the Warner West End (London), the Warner Village “Star City” (Birmingham) and the UCI Manchester (Manchester); in Canada at Famous Players Paramount (Toronto) and Famous Players Riverport (Vancouver); and in the United States at Harkins Arizona Mills (Phoenix), AMC Media Center 6 (Burbank), Edwards Irvine Spectrum (Irvine), AMC Mission Valley (San Diego), AMC Van Ness (San Francisco), AMC Pleasure Island 24 (Orlando), AMC South Barrington 30 (Chicago), GC Framingham (Boston), AMC Studio 24 (Kansas City), Cinemark Valley View (Cleveland), Cinemark Legacy (Plano). "The Perfect Storm" tells of the courageous men and women who risk their lives every working day, pitting their fishing boats and rescue vessels against the capricious forces of nature. Their worst fears are realized at sea one fateful autumn, when they are confronted by three raging weather fronts, which collide to produce the greatest, fiercest and most destructive storm in modern history. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg star in “The Perfect Storm” as Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Baltimore Spring Creek Pictures production in association with Radiant Productions, a Wolfgang Petersen Film. The film also stars Diane Lane, William Fichtner, Karen Allen, Allen Payne, Bob Gunton, with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and John C. Reilly. Music is by James Horner. The film is edited by Richard Francis-Bruce, A.C.E. William Sandell is the Production Designer. John Seale, ACS, ASC, is the Director of Photography. The Executive Producers are Barry Levinson and Duncan Henderson. Based on the book by Sebastian Junger, the screenplay is by Bill Wittliff. Paula Weinstein, Wolfgang Petersen and Gail Katz produced “The Perfect Storm,” which is directed by Wolfgang Petersen. www.perfectstorm.com# # #