MARIA: PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE'S
PREPARED TO SLAP TARIFFS ON $555
BILLION OF CHINESE GOODS
IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED STATES.
HE HAS IMPOSED A TARIFF ON $35
BILLION IN CHINESE IMPORTS.
INDUSTRIES LIKE AGRICULTURE ARE
FEELING IT.
BUT WILL IT AFFECT HOLLYWOOD.
JURASSIC KINGDOM RAKED IN 25% OF
ITS STICK THE SALES FROM CHINA
ALONE.
RICHARD GELFOND SAYS CHINA IS
NOT LIKELY TO RETAILATE AGAINST
HOLLYWOOD.
JOINING US IS RICHARD GELFOND
FROM IMAX.
YOU HAVE GOT BUSINESS IN CHAIN A
AND SAUDI ARABIA.
>> WE ARE IN 80 COUNTRIES.
WE HAVE A FAIRLY UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE.
SO FAR THE TRADE FIGHT HASN'T
ON THE HARDWARE SIDE THERE IS
NOTHING TO RETALIATE AGAINST.
ON THE SOFTWARE SIDE WE HAVE OUR
EYES OPEN TO WHAT MAY HAPPEN AND
WILL THERE BE CONSEQUENCES FOR
HOLLYWOOD FILMS.
CONSUMERS LOVE THE FILMS BE
CINEMA IS A GROWTH INDUSTRY.
IN CHINA THERE ARE ECONOMIC
REASONS TO DO IT.
IT'S A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL
INDUSTRY.
THE HOLLYWOOD FILMS PORTRAY
CHINA IN A WAY THAT THEY ARE
HAPPY ABOUT.
YEARS AGO THEY USED TO PORTRAY
CHINESE AS COMMUNISTS WITH A
NEGATIVE CONNOTATION.
BUT MORE RECENTLY HOLLYWOOD HAS
I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR
CHINA TO IMPOSE THEM.
SAUDI ARABIA OPENING ITS MARKET
TO MOVIE THEATERS WHICH IS NEW
UNDER THE NEW CROWN PRINCE.
YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT KIND OF
MARKET SHARE YOU CAN GET IN
SAUDI ARABIA.
>> I THINK WE CAN GET A
SIGNIFICANT PART OF THAT MARKET.
IF YOU WERE BUILDING A MULTI
PLEX TODAY YOU HAVE WOULD WANT
IMAX TO BE IN IT.
IN CHINA WE DO ON A TYPICAL
SAUDI ARABIA IS SIMILAR.
THEY ARE NOT TIED DOWN BY
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEATER OF ANY KIND IN SAUDI
ARABIA WAS AN IMAX THEATER AT A
COULD HAVE 500 SCREENS, MAYBE
1,000 SCREENS.
NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE EXCLUSIVE
ZONES AND WHAT NOT, I DON'T KNOW
WHAT THE NUMBER COULD BE.
BUT I THINK IT COULD BE BETWEEN
50 AND 100.
GOING AT THE BOX OFFICE?
>> IT WAS THE HIGHEST DOMESTIC
BOX OFFICE EVER.
TIERKS MAX TIDE OUR -- IMAX TIED
OUR RECORD.
EYES
IMES
IMAX'S BOX OFFICE WAS
UP.
WE CONCENTRATE AND BLOCKBUSTERS
AND CONCENTRATE ON GLOBAL.
MARIA: WAYS HAPPENING THE
TRADITION -- WHAT IS HAPPENING
WITH THE TRADITIONAL MOVIE
COMPANIES.
HOW DO YOU THINK THINGS CHANGE.
DISNEY IS ON THE DOORSTEP OF
ACQUIRING FOX 21st CENTURY
ASSETS.
>> I THINK YOU WILL SEE MORE
BLOCKBUSTERS.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT ATTRACTED DISNEY TO FOX.
DISNEY REALIZES YOU CAN'T
ADVERTISE THE COST OF SOME OF
THESE THINGS OVER A THEATRICAL
RELEASE.
SEQUELS, AIRPLANES,
INTERNATIONAL MERCHANDISING.
REACTING BY MAKING THOSE BIGGER
THEY WILL MAKE MADE FOR
STREAMING MOVIES.
BUT GOING BACK TO WHAT I SAID
PREVIOUSLY, THE MID-LEVEL MOVIES
THAT DON'T RELEASE IN A
STREAMING FORMAT.
BUT DISNEY GETS THIS.
MARIA: TELL ME WHERE YOUR
BUSINESS GOES THE REST OF THE
YEAR.
WHAT KIND OF OUTLOOK ARE YOU
GIVING?
>> IT'S A STRONG FIRST HALF.
AFTER "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" THERE
ARE A NUMBER OF BLOCKBUSTERS ON
THE HORIZON.
WARNER HAS A FILM CALLED
"FANTASTIC BEAST."
AND "A STAR IS BORN" STARRING
LADY GAGA.
WE HAVE "FIRST MAN" WHICH IS
RYAN GOSLING.
IT'S A SPACE MOVIE ABOUT NEIL
ARMSTRONG FILMED IN PART WITH
IMAX CAMERAS.
CHRISTMAS THERE IS "AQUA MAN."
MARIA: RICHARD, GREAT STUFF.