Christie to light up Hobbit premiere
Published: ASIA
NEW ZEALAND: Christie has been chosen to supply the digital cinema/HFR projection technology for the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington, on November 28th.
Two Christie Solaria CP2230 series digital projectors will flood the main screen for the premiere with more than 12ft-L brightness, whilst a Christie Duo integration kit will be used to combine the intensity of the dual CP2230 projectors.
‘With Christie's support, our Wellington Premiere will present The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at its full technical potential – in vibrant, bright high frame rate 3D,’ said director Peter Jackson. ‘I thank Christie for helping us push the boundaries and give audiences a glimpse into the exciting future of cinema presentation.’
Jack Kline, president and COO, Christie Digital Systems USA Inc, was equally enthusiastic. ‘Endorsements from industry leaders like Peter Jackson and Warner Bros Pictures, MGM and New Line Cinema compliment Christie’s leadership position in the visual technology world, which we’ve achieved by consistently delivering what exhibitors and audiences want.’
Christie’s digital projectors, installed by its Xebex cinema partner, will also play a key role in the film’s Tokyo premiere, which will take place at the Toho Cinemas in Roppongi Hills on December 1st, with Mr Jackson in attendance.
Christie signed a technology co-operation agreement with Park Road Post Production Ltd and Weta Digital Ltd in early 2012 to work together to advance the state of the art of digital cinema production and projection, with an emphasis on high frame rate (HFR) delivery.
As part of that agreement, Park Road and Weta upgraded their facilities with Christie projectors and provided Christie with review, testing and feedback on new hardware and software developments related to high-bandwidth interfaces and HFR technology, as well as sample movie content for Christie to use in testing its projectors and integrated media block (IMB) units.
‘The success of our joint research and knowledge exchange has led to the creation of the most reliable high frame rate IMB/projection solution available and this will be evident to all at The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premiere and beyond,’ commented Cameron Harland, general manager, Park Road. ‘By using the world’s first totally integrated and commercially available dual-projection system, we are anticipating a stunning rendition of the film.’