Upcoming Warner Brosblockbuster Matrix Reloaded andNovember release The Matrix Revolutions, the second and third films in the Wachowski Brothers' trilogy,will be released in large-format Imax cinemas in North America and, potentially,internationally.

An Imax version of Reloaded will open shortly after the May 15 release of the35mm version while an Imax version of Revolutions will open simultaneously with the 35mm release onNovember 5, making Revolutionsthe first live-action event film to open concurrently in both standard andlarge formats. The releases could be on as many as 50 Imax screens depending onavailability. Both films will be digitally re-mastered using Imax'sproprietary DMR technology.

Imax's agreement withWarner Bros., which will be the exclusive distributor of the films to IMAXtheatres worldwide, marks the first multi-picture DMR commitment by a majorHollywood studio. As well, the Imax versions of both films will be the first tobenefit from a dedicated television and print marketing campaign, they willalso piggy-back on the conventional campaign. Details of the deal remainconfidential.

Imax's president offilmed entertainment Greg Foster told Screendaily the deal is a watershedmoment for the company, which has staked its future on reformattingconventional films for Imax screens.

At ShoWest 2003 the companyunveiled plans for its MPX theatre system, a lower-cost alternative that allowsmultiplex facilities to present Imax films. While no MPX theatres will be builtin time for the Matrix films,Foster says the company has solved the issue of reel size limitations thatforced an intermission in feature-length Imax presentations. A new 150-minuteplatter will be installed in all facilities in time for Reloaded release.

According to Foster, theoriginal day-and-date plan was solely for Revolutions until executive producer Joel Silver and Warnerexecutives saw the results of a trial DMR transfer and asked that Reloaded be included in the large-format release strategy.Hence the gap between the 35mm release and the Imax release. "As soon aswe can get [Reloaded] done, itwill come out.