Dolby Laboratories and Jet Tone Production have announced that award-winning director Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster will be the first Chinese movie mixed in Dolby Atmos to be shown in the United States. Dolby Atmos is the new audio platform that revolutionizes sound in entertainment. The Weinstein Company will release the Grandmaster theatrically in the United States on August 23.
"The Grandmaster is a Chinese kung fu story that is not only about physical fighting," the director said, "but also about such intangibles as chi, the mind, and the spirit, which are never easy concepts to express. I have been extremely impressed by the powerful enhancements to storytelling that Dolby Atmos makes possible. The Grandmaster in Dolby Atmos will use sound to transport audiences right into the film action."
The U.S. version of The Grandmaster was mixed in Dolby Atmos by Kantana Sound Studio in Bangkok, Thailand, the first mixing studio equipped with Dolby Atmos in Southeast Asia. Traithep Wongpaiboon, senior vice president, Kantana Sound Studio said, "Dolby Atmos is the most powerful sound technology we have ever used. With Dolby Atmos, the sound moves around and above the audiences, creating a soundfield so realistic that film audiences feel as if they are in the center of the action."
"We are delighted that internationally renowned director Wong Kar Wai chose to mix his latest picture in Dolby Atmos for the US release," said Mike Chao, managing director, greater China, Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby Atmos brings a natural lifelike audio experience to movie theatres, giving filmmakers creative freedom to place and move sounds anywhere in the auditorium, including overhead, for added realism and impact."
"Dolby Atmos delivers the best next-generation audio experience for all film genres, including martial arts. We are very excited to be at the forefront of bringing a premium entertainment experience to moviegoers with The Grandmaster, featuring Dolby Atmos sound, and believe that this is a big step for us to help drive innovation in the cinema," said Erik Lomis, president of theatrical distribution and home entertainment for the Weinstein Company.
The Grandmaster stars Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang and was first released in mainland China on January 8, 2013. A Jet Tone Production, The Grandmaster will be distributed by the Weinstein Company to 800 screens in the United States, including select theatres equipped with Dolby Atmos technology.
Dolby Atmos dolby.com/Atmos