Centennial, Colo. - April 30, 2013 - Every two years, the most talented athletes from around the world prepare to follow their dreams and take their place in history at the Olympic Games. The only film about the London 2012 Olympic Games supported by the International Olympic Committee, "FIRST: The Story of the London 2012 Olympic Games" follows a dozen first-time Olympic athletes on their journey from their homes in different corners of the globe to meet their fate in London.
Presented by NCM Fathom Events, New Moon and the United States Olympic Committee, this exclusive one-night event in select cinemas nationwide on Thursday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. local time features the uplifting stories of 12 young athletes. The event includes personal interviews with U.S. swimmer Missy Franklin, gymnast John Orozco, boxer Queen Underwood and Australian BMX rider Caroline Buchanan as they discuss how the Olympic Games changed their lives forever.
Tickets for "FIRST: The Story of the London 2012 Olympic Games" are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The event will be broadcast to more than 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.
Directed by Caroline Rowland, this documentary gives audiences unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to some of the greatest moments of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The IOC granted Rowland the rights to film the documentary of the London 2012 Olympic Games - seven years after producing the acclaimed films for London's bid to host the Olympic Games in 2005. In the six weeks she spent with the athletes leading up to the London Games, Rowland filmed 60 hours of footage featuring the athletes, their families, coaches and friends and had unique access to film hundreds of hours of coverage of the events at London 2012.
"I can't wait to see ‘FIRST' and relive the exciting events of last summer," said Missy Franklin, four-time Olympic gold medalist. "Not only am I honored to be a part of this film, but I'm also excited to experience the Olympic journeys of the other amazing athletes involved in this project."
Scored by Sacha Puttnam and with a stunning contemporary soundtrack, "FIRST" captures the London Olympic Games as a recollection, evoking the emotion and magic experienced at the Olympic Games by the following athletes*:
§ Missy Franklin - USA - Women's Swimming
§ John Orozco - USA - Men's Artistic Gymnastics
§ Queen Underwood - USA - Women's Boxing Lightweight
§ Caroline Buchanan - Australia - Women's BMX
§ Chad le Clos - South Africa - Men's Swimming
§ David Rudisha - Kenya - Men's Athletics 800m
§ Katie Taylor - Ireland - Women's Boxing Lightweight
§ Laura Trott - Great Britain - Women's Track Cycling
§ Christophe Lemaitre - France -Men's Athletics 200m
§ Majlinda Kelmendi - Albania - Women's Judo
§ Heena Sidhu - India - Women's Shooting 10m Air Pistol
§ Qiu Bo - China - Men's Diving 10m Platform
*Athlete bios are available here.
"'FIRST' is a sports documentary with soul that follows these extraordinary athletes as they meet their fate in the swimming pool, boxing ring, gym and on the track," said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. "This exclusive in-theater event features stunning sports imagery from inside the London Olympic Park that will give audiences a new perspective on the dreams and determination that lead these athletes to the greatest sporting event in the world."
A $21.2 million weekend from Iron Man 3 dominated the market at the U.K.
box office. Iron Man 3 is now Marvel's second highest grossing film in the U.K.
after The Avengers. Audiences didn't
seem very willing to watch anything else over the weekend, as per-screen
averages dropped across the board for every other title. The
Croods was the
weekend's strongest hold-over,
falling a mere 11% in its sixth week. The animated film has already grossed a
$37.2 million cume in the U.K. Oz: The Great and Powerful is showing resiliency by staying in
the top ten after 12 weeks in release, reaching a $22.8 million cume in the
U.K.. Oz's $444 per-screen average doesn't
even remotely compare to Disney's other release, Iron Man 3, which averaged an overwhelming $38,225. Another
telling statistic from the weekend sheds negative light on Oblivion's
hold-over potential: Iron Man 3 grossed 33% more in one weekend than the Tom Cruise film
has been able to bring in during its three weeks in release.
Box Office Results for the United Kingodm. April 26-28, 2013.
Follow Daniel Loria and BoxOffice on Twitter for more news on the global box office.
Iron Man 3 recorded the all-time biggest industry opening for an April
release in Italy. The superhero film grossed $9 million over the weekend to
bring its Italian cume to $11.1 million. The $10,492 per-screen average is the
highest among current releases in the country. Scary Movie 5 ceded the top spot to Tony Stark
and fell to third place in it second week. The horror spoof has still proved successful
in Italy, grossing $1 million over the weekend to bring its total to $3.5
million. Olympus Has Fallen was the only other film to break $1 million over the
weekend, bringing its total to $3.3 million. Tom Cruise's Oblivion slipped out of
contention in its third week in release. The sci-fi film is slowly creeping
towards the $5 million, which it should reach before next weekend.
Box Office Results for Italy. April 26-28, 2013
Follow Daniel Loria and BoxOffice on Twitter for more news on the global box office.
