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National Geographic’s “Mysteries Of Egypt” $50 Million Strong At Box Office

#1 Large-Format Film Worldwide for 1999

Washington, DC, January 13, 2000 -- National Geographic’s tremendously successful large-format film MYSTERIES OF EGYPT tops $50 million at the box office. With more than half of its exhibition schedule remaining, MYSTERIES OF EGYPT ended 1999 as that year’s top performing film, and is on track to become one of the top five grossing large-format films ever released. Further marking its popularity, MYSTERIES OF EGYPT was America’s top grossing film of any kind on a per screen basis for 14 weeks.

“MYSTERIES OF EGYPT has earned its place as one of the most successful large-format films in history,” said Rick Allen, CEO of National Geographic Ventures. “This film gave us the chance to tell a monumental story on the world’s largest screens, and Egypt’s treasures have been as fascinating to National Geographic as they have been to worldwide audiences.”

“With more than half of its exhibition schedule remaining, MYSTERIES OF EGYPT continues to dominate in the large-format arena,” noted Tim Kelly, one of MYSTERIES OF EGYPT’s Executive Producers and National Geographic Television’s President. “Attendance has been impressive since our initial release and breaking the $50 million mark reinforces the popularity, industry support, and strong word of mouth that continue to support this film.”

Combining the extraordinary storytelling talents of National Geographic with the distribution expertise of Destination Cinema Inc. (DCI), MYSTERIES OF EGYPT is the first large-format film co-produced by National Geographic Films and Destination Cinema, in association with NOVA/WGBH Boston, Museum of Science and Industry-Chicago, Canadian Museum of Civilization, and Centex Investment Limited. 

MYSTERIES OF EGYPT stars legendary actor Omar Sharif, who delivers an engaging performance while leading audiences on an enchanting journey through the tombs, treasures and tales of Egypt. The film weaves the amazing account of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb with the fascinating story of ancient Egypt, and highlights the monumental accomplishments of this astonishing civilization.

National Geographic has sponsored more than 80 Egyptian studies and expeditions, published more than 100 articles and books, and produced countless hours of television about this extraordinary civilization. 

Building on its reputation for remarkably visual and compelling stories, National Geographic Television (NGT) augments its award-winning documentary production with new prime-time drama, large-format, and feature film programming, as well as international broadcast and video distribution. NGT is partnered with NBC and Fox Entertainment to grow the National Geographic Channel worldwide, which is currently operating in 60 countries and reaches over 50 million households. National Geographic will launch the Channel in the U.S. in the second half of 2000. At present, NGT's programming can be seen in the U.S. on CNBC and PBS networks as well as through syndication and home video. Additionally, NGT programming can be seen internationally through video distribution and broadcast syndication in more than 100 different outlets in some 90 territories.

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Contact: 
Melissa Montefiore/NGT  (202) 857-7627
Kristy Bremer/Pryor & Associates  (818) 382-2233