The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to Feature Dolby Atmos Mix

SAN FRANCISCO - Wednesday, October 24th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) and Park Road Post Production today announced that director Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), will be mixed in Dolby® Atmos™to deliver a more natural, realistic soundtrack that moves sound around and above audiences, helping to transport them into the world of Middle-earth.

“I strive to make movies that allow the audience to participate in the events onscreen, rather than just watch them unfold. Wonderful technology is now available to support this goal: high frame rates, 3D, and now the stunning Dolby Atmos system,” said Peter Jackson, co-writer, director, and producer of The Hobbit trilogy. “Dolby has always been at the cutting edge of providing cinema audiences with the ultimate sound experience, and they have now surpassed themselves. Dolby Atmos provides the completely immersive sound experience that filmmakers like myself have long dreamed about.”

Academy Award®–winning trio Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, and Michael Semanick (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) will be creating the Dolby Atmos mix at Park Road Post Production. Dolby Atmos is a new audio platform that revolutionizes the experience of sound in entertainment. It allows sound designers and mixers a new level of creative control and ensures that cinema audiences will experience the full impact of their mix regardless of theatre configuration.

“It’s an inspiring time in cinema, with Peter Jackson taking moviemaking to new frontiers with Dolby’s next-generation audio solutions,” said Doug Darrow, Senior Vice President, Cinema, Dolby Laboratories. “When The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theatres equipped with these Dolby technologies, audiences will be transported into the journey with the lifelike realism the creative team envisioned.”

To learn more about Dolby Atmos, visit dolby.com/Atmos.

To share an educational video on Dolby Atmos, visit https://vimeo.com/40699179.

To download the Dolby virtual press kit, visit dolby.com/news.

About The Hobbit Trilogy

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first of three films from filmmaker Peter Jackson, the Academy Award–winning director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The screenplay for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner, and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins, and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeyand the second and third films of the trilogy are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 14, 2012, with the second film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, releasing on December 13, 2013, and the third film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, slated for July 18, 2014.

About Dolby Laboratories

Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound in environments from the cinema to the living room to mobile devices, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.

Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Dolby Atmos is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories. “Academy Awards®” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. S12/26173

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Contacts

Dolby Laboratories

Joshua Gershman, 415-645-5611

joshua.gershman@dolby.com