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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CINEMA VENTURES'
'SEA MONSTERS: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE' REACHES $30 MILLION AT BOX OFFICE
"Spectacular..." - Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times
"It's 'Finding Nemo' with a 'Wow' factor of 100." - Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
"A visually stunning affair..." - Mike Scott, New Orleans Times-Picayune
WASHINGTON (Nov. 10, 2008)—This weekend, "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure" became one of the fastest giant-screen films to hit the $30 million mark since its release on Oct. 5, 2007, and it is one of the highest-grossing original giant-screen films of 2008.
"We're thrilled with the enthusiastic response 'Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure' has received from audiences around the world. It's a testament to the strength of the story about some of Earth's ancient sea dwellers and how beautifully National Geographic captured these characters on screen," said Mark Katz, president, Giant Screen Film and Distribution for National Geographic Cinema Ventures. "We're confident that this film will be enjoyed by audiences for years to come."
"Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure," narrated by Tony Award-winning actor Liev Schreiber, with an original score by longtime musical collaborators Richard Evans, David Rhodes and Peter Gabriel, takes audiences on a remarkable journey into the often overlooked world of the "other dinosaurs," those reptiles that lived beneath the water. Funded in part through a grant from the National Science Foundation, the film delivers a vision of some of Earth's grandest ocean creatures.
The film, produced in both 2-D and 3-D, had the largest day and date release in the history of the giant-screen industry when it debuted in October 2007, becoming the first film to release simultaneously in IMAX® and digital 3-D theaters. It is currently licensed in some 140 theaters in 20 countries worldwide, with recent or upcoming openings in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain; Borre, Denmark; Athens, Greece; Salmiya, Kuwait; Regina and Sudbury, Canada; and in the United States in Tallahassee, Fla.; Lubbock, Texas; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Louisville, Ky. "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure" can currently be seen in more than 50 theaters across the United States.
An audience and critics' favorite, "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure" was recently honored with awards in the categories of "Best Film," "Best Film for Learning" and "GSCA Marketing — Big Idea," by the Giant Screen Cinema Association. The film also has been awarded the Visual Effects Society's award for Special Venue Project, and a Golden Reel award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors Association for Best Sound Editing — Special Venue.
The film is now available in DVD at stores where videos are sold. Also available are "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure" companion books for adults and young readers in standard,
3-D and pop-up formats; a video game licensed by Destination Software Incorporated, available on Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS™ and Wii™; and a line of licensed plush toys, puzzles and apparel, available at www.nationalgeographic.com/store.
National Geographic Cinema Ventures is part of National Geographic Entertainment (NGE). Building on its global reputation for remarkable visuals and compelling stories, National Geographic Cinema Ventures produces original 2-D and 3-D productions for the world's largest screens. National Geographic Cinema Ventures also retains distribution rights to one of the largest film libraries in the giant-screen industry.
NGE was established in 2007, combining into a single operating group National Geographic's Cinema Ventures, Feature Films, Kids Entertainment, Home Entertainment and Music & Radio business units. NGE is part of National Geographic Global Media (NGGM), also formed in 2007, bringing together all of National Geographic's editorial platforms to streamline collaboration and further support the Society's mission. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," National Geographic works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through magazines, books, digital media, television, radio, music and film. It funds more than 250 scientific research, exploration and conservation projects each year and supports an education program combating geography illiteracy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.
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Contacts:
Stephanie Montgomery
National Geographic
(202) 857-5838
smontgom@ngs.org
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