DENVER – November 12, 2018 – Fathom Events has partnered with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring Academy Award winner Peter Jackson’s poignant WWI documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old” to movie theaters across the U.S. on Monday, December 17, with an encore presentation on Thursday, December 27. The film is presented in 2D and RealD™ 3D, and tickets go on sale on Friday, November 16, at www.FathomEvents.com and participating theater box offices.
Jackson recorded a special introduction to the film—which he has called his most personal—offering his perspective on why the film is important for audiences, who have never experienced WWI footage as anything but grainy black & white… and silent. In “They Shall Not Grow Old,” Jackson opens a window to the past in a way that has never been seen or heard before, noting, “Restoration is a humanizing process.” The screening will be immediately followed by special content offering firsthand insights into what went into this groundbreaking feat of research, filmmaking and storytelling.
The acclaimed documentary is an extraordinary look at the soldiers and events of the Great War, using film footage captured at the time, now presented as the world has never seen. By utilizing state-of-the-art restoration, colorization and 3D technologies, and pulling from 600 hours of BBC archival interviews, Jackson puts forth an intensely gripping, immersive and authentic experience through the eyes and voices of the British soldiers who lived it.
“We knew that partnering with Warner Bros. to bring this extraordinary documentary to U.S. audiences was essential,” said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. “Putting this documentary on the big screen via the Fathom network will further illuminate Peter’s work and allow moviegoers to see the impressive visual detail of the restored footage as though they were a part of that moment in time.”
Carolyn Blackwood, President and Chief Content Officer, New Line Cinema and executive producer on “The Hobbit” Trilogy stated, “This documentary is simply special on every level – it is an arresting and gripping way to humanize and honor those who served so bravely during WWI by using actual footage shot at the time and narrated with the voices of the soldiers who experienced it. Leave it to Peter to come up with a groundbreaking way to reflect back on a period in history that deserves another look.”
Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, said, “With this being the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, I can’t imagine a more appropriate time to honor the courage of the soldiers who fought in WWI – what was then ‘the war to end all wars’ – many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. Peter has made history come alive through the medium of film, and we are so pleased to be a part of bringing his vision to today’s audiences.”