THE MONK COMES DOWN THE MOUNTAIN Gets The IMAX Treatment

If there's even a chance that director Chen Kaige's The Monk Comes Down The Mountain can get the same IMAX release treatment that it will in China early next month, I more than welcome it. Personally, I think any fan of Asian cinema would.

The earlier teasers look great and I hope to see even more immersive footage that will help flex its muscles some; The film is packed with a huge cast led by actor Wang Baoqiang, whose charisma and comedic wit can be seen among just a few characters that have been shown so far. All others have only ever been seen in teaser posters, and speaking of, nine more have been added to the album below the press release.

SHANGHAI, June 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) today announced that the 3D epic film The Monk Comes Down the Mountain, from legendary filmmaker Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine), will be digitally re-mastered in the immersive IMAX® 3D format and released in IMAX® theatres in China on July 3. New Classics Media Corporation, China Film Group and Wuzhou Film Distribution Golden Network will be handling local distribution in China. 

The Monk Comes Down the Mountain, about a young monk forced to leave his Taoist temple into an unknown world, stars Wang Baoqiang, Aaron Kwok, Chang Chen, Chilling Lin and Fan Wei. The film's script was written by Kaige and Zhang Ting, based on an original story by Xu Haofeng. 

"Our priority has always been to find the best, most exciting content available in the Chinese market," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond from Shanghai, where he is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Shanghai International Film Festival. "The Monk Comes Down the Mountain meets all those criteria as an ideal addition to the IMAX slate in China this summer." 

"The continued expansion of the IMAX network in China goes hand-in-hand with the important partnerships curated between IMAX and Chinese filmmakers like acclaimed director Chen Kaige," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "The Monk Comes Down the Mountain is a film tailor-made for The IMAX Experience® we are excited for its release in IMAX theatres this summer." 

The IMAX® 3D release of The Monk Comes Down the Mountain will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

The Monk