The dragons, dire wolves, White Walkers and power-hungry political factions in HBO’s fantasy epic “Game of Thrones” will invade movie theaters later this month — on the big, big screen. An exclusive trailer for the coming season along with the final two episodes of the previous season will be shown in 150 Imax theaters.
The critically acclaimed drama about rival dynasties in a medieval-like world will be the first television series ever to appear on Imax screens. Tickets for the engagement, which will run for one week from Jan. 23-29, go on sale Tuesday.
The move signals a continued blurring of the lines among media platforms, where digital videos, television series and films stream across a proliferation of screens, from tiny mobile phones to movie theaters. It also shows the extent to which media companies are trying to turn their blockbuster hits into mega events, as drawing mass audiences becomes increasingly rare.
For Imax, the “Game of Thrones” screening is part of an effort to expand the type of programming it shows beyond its core theatrical releases, especially as the North American box office faces tumbling sales. The company has had preliminary conversations with other entertainment companies about showing other television series and also has tested technologies allowing for the screening of live sports. Music concerts also are on the table, said Richard L. Gelfond, chief executive of Imax.
“We see the past of our company and the future of our company as innovating in the way that content is displayed,” Gelfond said.
Other experimentation includes a plan to show the sequel to the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” simultaneously on Netflix and in select Imax theaters.
HBO and Imax started talking about screening “Game of Thrones” several months ago, convinced that the high production quality of the series, the demographic of the fan base and the branding opportunities made it a worthy experiment. At a reported $6 million to $10 million an episode, the show ranks as one of the most expensive productions on television today.
“‘Game of Thrones’ is one of the few television shows that has the scope and cinematic qualities to really support the Imax format,” said Pamela Levine, chief marketing officer at HBO.
For HBO, the screening kicks off the promotion for coming season of “Game of Thrones,” which starts in April. It will also start what is expected to be a big year of marketing and promotion for the premium cable network as a whole. HBO announced in October that it planned to introduce a stand-alone Internet streaming service later this year that does not require a standard cable or satellite subscription. It also is planning its first brand marketing campaign in about two decades.
Some industry observers have speculated that HBO’s new subscription streaming service would start in tandem with the new season of “Game of Thrones” so that the network could capitalize on the buzz related to the show. The fourth season of “Game of Thrones,” which ended in June, averaged 19 million cumulative viewers, making it the most-watched HBO original series ever.
HBO has not released details about the timing or other aspects of the new service.
Timing was crucial for the “Game of Thrones” screenings. Blockbuster productions rarely are released in January, giving Imax some flexibility in scheduling an experiment.
“It would be difficult to bump ‘Avengers’ or ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Bond’ to do something like this,” Gelfond said. “But in late January, you have a lot more flexibility.”