Cinemark Presents Exclusive Release of Academy Award-Winning® “Ben-Hur” Re-mastered
Cinemark and Warner Bros. Pictures Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of “Ben-Hur” with Theatrical Events offered in Cinemark XD at Theatres Across the US
PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), a leading motion picture exhibitor, is proud to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures to offer movie-goers the opportunity to see the exclusive release of “Ben-Hur,” in 54 Cinemark XD auditoriums across the country, on Thursday, February 2, 2012, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The beloved iconic film has been digitally re-mastered and will be shown exclusively on Cinemark XD screens in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary.
In addition, five locations will show the film as a week-long engagement, February 2 – 9, 2012 with the same daily showtimes of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Those locations include (listed by DMA markets):
| DMA | Brand | Theatre Name | |||
| Tucson, AZ | Century | Century 20 El Con and XD in Tucson, AZ | |||
| Los Angeles, CA | Century | Century @ The River and XD in Rancho Mirage, CA | |||
| Las Vegas, NV | Century | Century 16 South Point in Las Vegas, NV | |||
| Houston, TX | Cinemark | Cinemark Tinseltown 17 and XD in The Woodlands, TX | |||
| Cleveland, OH | Cinemark | Cinemark at Valley View and XD in Valley View, OH |
"Ben-Hur has been well-loved for half a century and we’re excited to
give movie-goers the chance to now see it bigger and better, in
Cinemark’s extremely popular XD auditoriums,” states James Meredith, VP
of Marketing and Communication at Cinemark. "Our Cinemark XD auditoriums
offer a complete entertainment environment featuring enormous
wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor screens, plush seating, and custom JBL
sound systems with higher end components and 7.1 capable digital
surround sound. I cannot imagine a better viewing environment to enjoy
the exclusive release of this Academy Award-winning classic."
For many, this XD presentation will be the only time to experience the visual splendor, thundering action and towering drama of this record-setting Academy Award-winning film. The film boasts 100,000 costumes, 15,000 extras and 300 individual sets. With its $15 million budget that, at the time, was the most expensive in MGM’s history, “Ben-Hur” is widely considered to be one of the most accomplished Biblical-era epics ever made. Based on Lew Wallace’s best-selling novel and adapted by Karl Tunber, “Ben-Hur” stars Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O’Donnell and Sam Jaffe. Best Director Oscar®-winner, William Wyler, masterfully grips the reins of an enduring and spellbinding spectacular.
The movie was filmed in a process known as MGM Camera 65, one of the widest prints ever made, with a width almost three times its height. This allowed for spectacular panoramic shots and bold action sequences. Even by today’s standards, “Ben-Hur’s” now legendary chariot race still astonishes viewers. The lack of computer-generated effects, the visually stunning MGM Camera 65 process, and excellent cinematography together make this scene one of the most memorable in modern cinema.
Ben-Hur 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition (UCE) made its dazzling Blu-ray debut September 27, 2011. With a $1 million restoration -- from an 8k scan of the original 65 mm camera negative – this was the highest resolution restoration ever completed by the Studio. The restoration was completed in 4k resolution, and the elements were created to preserve the film for the next 100 years. Each set contains more than four hours of extras including a unique, all-new hi-def feature length documentary hosted by son Fraser Heston; a reproduction of Heston's diary during filming; and an exclusive hardbound photo book. The film has been rated G by the MPAA.
A full list of participating Cinemark XD locations, advance ticket purchases and show time information can be found at
About Cinemark Holdings, Inc.
Headquartered in Plano, TX, Cinemark Holdings, Inc. is a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry with 448 theatres and 5,096 screens in the U.S. and Latin America as of September 30, 2011. For more information go to http://www.cinemark.com.
About Warner Home Video
With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc., commands the largest home entertainment distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Video and New Line Cinema.
Cinemark Holdings
James Meredith, 972-665-1060
VP of Marketing
and Communications
or
WBHEG
Ronnee Sass
VP of
Publicity
ronnee.sass@warnerbros.com
Source: Cinemark Holdings, Inc.
Released January 26, 2012