The Tempest with Christopher Plummer Brings Its Magic to Cinemas

Academy Award® Winner Christopher Plummer’s critically-acclaimed performance in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s production of The Tempest storms into select U.S. movie theaters on Thursday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m. local time followed by an exclusive Q&A with the actor and director. Directed by Tony Award® Winner Des McAnuff, The Tempest was pre-recorded live over two days at the legendary Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. Plummer takes the classical role of a lifetime to the big screen, starring as Prospero in Shakespeare's culminating masterpiece. The Q&A with Plummer and McAnuff is hosted by The Tempest producer Barry Avrich.

Tickets for The Tempest are available beginning Friday, May 11 at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com and at www.TheTempestHD.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the websites (theaters and participants are subject to change). Presented by NCM Fathom Events and BY Experience, in association with Entertainment One, The Tempest will be broadcast to 565 U.S. movie theaters nationwide through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

The Tempest pits the desire for revenge against the demands of love and asks if man is capable of creating a brave new world. The story focuses on Prospero (Christopher Plummer), the banished Duke of Milan. Marooned on a distant island with his daughter, Miranda (Trish Lindstr�m), Prospero has spent 12 years perfecting his magic arts. Now, with the help of the spirit Ariel (Julyana Soelistyo), he raises a storm at sea, bringing within his grasp the enemies who robbed him of his dukedom. The stage production received rave reviews and played to sold-out houses at Canada’s Stratford Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 2010.

“Unlike motion pictures, theatre has no afterlife,” Avrich said. “It is imperative that extraordinary performances and productions such as The Tempest be recorded, exhibited and archived for generations to come. I am very proud to be part of a team that is making theatre history by preserving these great productions.”

The Tempest in-theater event will include a Q&A, pre-recorded before a live audience and hosted by Avrich, which reunites Plummer and McAnuff in a lively and insightful discussion about the challenges of capturing theatre for cinema screens. Audience members ask some diverse questions covering the arc of Plummer's career and (if following The Sound of Music) whether he will ever sing on screen again.

“The Tempest is a magical collaboration between Christopher Plummer and director Des McAnuff as well as spectacular production visuals – which will be even more magical on the big screen,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president for NCM Fathom Events. “Mr. Plummer’s interpretation of Prospero is definitely a must-see for Shakespeare fans.”

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival brings classical and contemporary theatre alive from April to October in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. This year marks the Festival's milestone 60th season.

“Christopher Plummer is quite simply one of the greatest actors of our time, both on stage and on screen,” said McAnuff, who is also artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. “I’m delighted that our sold-out production, with Mr. Plummer leading a superbly talented cast, will now be shown in U.S. theaters, giving audiences the opportunity to experience this magical and momentous theatrical event.”

About National CineMedia (NCM)

NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 181 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 19,000 screens (approximately 17,800 digital). During 2011, over 670 million patrons (on an annualized basis) attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place. The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of over 700 locations in 167 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 42 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.6% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About BY Experience

BY Experience kicked off the digital revolution of live events to movie theaters and other locations globally with David Bowie’s 2003 Reality album launch and since then, over 15 million tickets have been sold worldwide for cinema events BY Experience has distributed and/or produced including the Met: Live in HD series, the U.K.’s National Theatre Live series, Leonardo Live (February 2012), the New York Times speaker’s series TimesTalks LIVE, the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest (June 2011), Red Hot Chili Peppers Live: I’m With You (August 2011); The Big Four: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax (June 2010), BBC Electric Proms: Robbie Williams (October 2009), the classic music celebrations BBC Last Night of the Proms (September 2009, 2010, 2011), St. Olaf Christmas Festival (December 2007 and December 2011), David Gilmour: Remember That Night — Live from the Royal Albert Hall (September 2007), and the public radio shows A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor (February and October 2010) and This American Life – Live! with Ira Glass (April 2008, May 2009, May 2012). BY Experience distributes to over 50 countries, to 2,000 movie screens. For more information, visit: www.byexperience.net.

For artwork/photos related to The Tempest, click here. The trailer may be viewed here.