Warner Bros. Creates Magic on the Big Screen
Topic Services Marketing
Key Words Service encounter, service quality, movie theaters
InfoTrac Reference CJ137182073
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News Story 

The movie industry is reeling again this year as low theater turnout and the booming home entertainment trend continue to dominate headlines. In an attempt to woo moviegoers back to theaters, Warner Bros. Pictures and Imax Corp. have partnered to create a blockbuster holiday movie event around one of the most enduring fads of the past decade: Pottermania. This year's Potter flick centers on the fourth Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."

The timing is good for rallying the movie industry around a mega-screen adaptation of Harry Potter. The 2005 release of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" sold over 9 million copies in the first 24 hours, and the book pushed sales for the series above 270 million copies.

And while the boy wizard is a huge sensation in print, the partnership between Warner Bros. Pictures and giant-screen movie exhibitor Imax is making Rowling's teen prodigy even larger in theaters. The Imax adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" gives audiences an all-sensory encounter with their favorite Rowling characters. With crystal clear images up to eight stories high and rumbling digital surround sound, the Imax theater system delivers an unparalleled film experience to moviegoers worldwide.

Imax scored top ticket sales earlier this year with "Batman Begins" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and "Goblet of Fire" is extending the hit streak for the Toronto-based movie theater company.

Questions
1.

Do you think Imax theaters provide a service encounter superior to other movie venues? Why or why not?

2.

Would you rather watch a movie at home or at an Imax theater? Explain.

Source Greg Hernandez, "A magical combination; IMAX, Warner Bros. pact profitable," Daily News (Los Angeles, California), Oct 5, 2005 pNA.
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