'Potter' casts day-and-date spell on Imax

Imax Corp. on Wednesday said Warner Bros. Pictures' fifth installment of the Harry Potter franchise will bow on its giant screens simultaneously with conventional cinemas in July 2007. Toronto-based Imax said Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the third Harry Potter to be digitally remastered for its giant screens, will open day-and-date on Imax screens on July 13, 2007. The first two Harry Potter films released in Imax theaters earned a combined $34 million at the boxoffice. The latest Harry Potter is the 13th Warner Bros. picture to be released on Imax's international network. Warner Bros. also is the exclusive distributor of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for Imax screens. Announcing its first big Hollywood release for 2007 comes as Imax continues to pursue a buyer or merger partner with the help of Allen & Co. The Canadian exhibitor has 266 theaters operating in 36 countries. Visit HollywoodReporter.com for more.