The Embassy Theatre in Wellington is installing Dolby Atmos sound for the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Atmos is a new sound system that features two extra arrays of overhead speakers and the ability to direct sound to individual speakers inside the cinema.
Speaking to the Dominion Post Carmen Switzer, general manager of Event Cinemas which run The Embassy said,
“It’s a massive investment. There is up to 20 separate amps, speakers in the ceiling. It’s really exciting for Wellington to have it at The Embassy.”
The theatre will be closed 5th to 9th November while the system is installed. Switzer also confirmed that the film will be shown in the higher frame rate of 48fps.
Dolby Laboratories’ aim to have Atmos in 80 to 100 cinemas by the time The Hobbit is released on December 14, about half of which will be in North America.
Dolby’s senior technical marketing manager Stuart Bowling said Peter Jackson felt Atmos sound would “make a big difference in how he tells stories”.
“He doesn’t want people to just go and observe his movies. He wants you to feel like you’re part of the experience of the stories that’s he’s trying to tell on the screen and allow you to be part of Middle-earth.”
