Wagner's Complete Ring Cycle Coming to Participating Movie Theatres in Canada

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 26, 2012) - Cineplex Entertainment (TSX:CGX), via our Front Row Centre Events, and The Metropolitan Opera are pleased to announce Canadian Robert Lepage's new production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen will be shown at participating movie theatres in Canada May 9-19, 2012. Susan Froemke's documentary Wagner's Dream, which looks at the making of Lepage's Ring cycle, can also be seen at participating theatres on May 7, 2012.

"This is a unique event for opera fans as this is first time the complete Ring cycle has been offered in movie theatres," said Pat Marshall, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Cineplex Entertainment. "Susan Froemke's documentary is not only a great introduction to the cycle but it also provides the audience with an unprecedented look at what Robert Lepage has done to bring these operas to life."

A special media screening of Wagner's Dream will be held in Toronto and Montreal on May 2^nd. Media can confirm attendance with one of the contacts listed below.

The stakes could not be higher as visionary director Robert Lepage, some of the world's greatest operatic artists, and the Metropolitan Opera tackle Wagner's Ring cycle. An intimate look at the enormous theatrical and musical challenges of staging opera's most monumental work, the film chronicles the quest to fulfill Wagner's dream of a perfect Ring.

In the first opera in the Ring cycle, the gods of Valhalla clash with underworld dwarves and brawny giants, with disastrous consequences. The evil Alberich steals gold from the Rhine and uses it to forge a ring of unimaginable power. Wotan, the king of the gods, uses magic to steal the Ring, but Alberich places a curse that guarantees misery for whoever wears it. Wotan's unwillingness to part with the ring leads him to break a contract with the giants who have built the gods' new castle in the sky, setting in motion a chain of events that will end in his own destruction.

The mysterious hero Siegmund finds shelter in the strangely familiar arms of a lonely woman named Sieglinde.

Their forbidden love leads Wotan's daughter, the warrior maiden Brünnhilde, to defy morality and intervene on behalf of the hero. Brünnhilde's transgression forces her father to choose between his love for his favorite daughter and his duty to his wife, the formidable goddess Fricka. Overcome with grief, Wotan takes away Brünnhilde's godlike powers and puts her to sleep on a mountaintop, surrounded by a ring of magic fire that can only be crossed by the bravest of heroes.

The young hero Siegfried grows up in the wilderness, raised by Alberich's conniving brother Mime. He puts together the broken pieces of the sword Nothung, uses it to slay the fearsome dragon Fafner, and takes the Ring for himself. To fulfill his destiny, he must overcome one more opponent-Wotan, now disguised as the Wanderer, who knows the world of the gods is coming to an end-and cross through the magic fire to awaken his true love, Brünnhilde.

Siegfried and Brünnhilde's love is torn apart by the curse of the Ring. A trio of scheming humans separates the two heroes in a desperate attempt to steal the Ring for themselves. Their villainous plan fails, but they succeed in murdering Siegfried. Heartbroken, Brünnhilde takes the Ring and leaps into the hero's funeral pyre, causing a global cataclysm and the twilight of the gods.

The Ring cycle will be offered at the following theatres*:

* Independent theatres may not offer all presentations, please check local listings.

About Cineplex Entertainment

Cineplex Inc. ("Cineplex") is the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada and owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 131 theatres with 1,363 screens serving approximately 70 million guests annually. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex operates theatres from British Columbia to Quebec and is the exclusive provider of UltraAVX™ and the largest exhibitor of digital 3D and IMAX projection technologies in the country. Proudly Canadian and with a workforce of approximately 10,000 employees, the company operates the following top tier brands: Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players, Colossus, Coliseum, SilverCity, Cinema City and Scotiabank Theatres. Cineplex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "CGX". For more information, visit www.cineplex.com.

About Front Row Centre Events (FRC)

Brought to you by Cineplex Entertainment, Front Row Centre Events bring world class entertainment to your local Cineplex Entertainment theatre and other participating locations! Presented in high-definition with digital surround sound, guests can experience the best in original one-night only and series-based programming. With the Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD series, Broadway productions, live broadcasts direct from the stage of London's National Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet performances, classic films, concerts, live sporting events and documentaries, Front Row Centre Events put you in the centre of the action on the big screen!