Mr. Big. (Trade Talk).

What's eight stories high, as wide as a sports field and found in nearly every kids' museum in the United States? An IMAX screen. The makers of the massive movie experience-usually engrossing documentaries on space flight or undersea exploration blown up much larger than life--are expanding their format into Latin America and, increasingly Hollywood productions like Apollo 13 and the Star Wars franchise. IMAX Co-CEO Brad Wechsler talks with LATIN TRADE Connection Editor Greg Brown about reinventing the seventh art.

How many IMAX screens would you like to see in the region?

There are 450 million people in Latin America. In North America, you have one theater for every 4 million people or so. You may not see North American penetration, but 50 is a good target over a number of years.

Which markets are first?

Chile and Ecuador are ideal countries. We have people on the ground in Argentina and Brazil. We are in detailed conversations in Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela and Panama. There is already penetration in Mexico; we have eight of them. We have a theater in Mexico City that sees 1 million people a year, which is one of our most successful theaters in the world.

That's a lot of popcorn...

Educational movies are not dependent on language. I don't know how easy it would be to send [a U.S.] comedy to Latin America, but you can send a movie about building the international space station or about caves. Teachers around the world love this, and the kids love it as well.

Any plans to make a giant "Casablanca"?

Our re-mastering plans go to three components: old classics like Lawrence of Arabia, then new classics like ET or the old Star Wars, and the third category, where we think our business is going, where you see Harry Potter or the next Matrix film released in MAX and conventional 35-millimeter film at the same time.

Hollywood? Do we really want to see Julia Roberts eight stories high?

IMAX will remain a complementary outlet to conventional Hollywood exhibition. Films anywhere from Lard of the Rings and Harry Potter to Stars Wars are the films that will look best in the medium. And, by the way, Julia Roberts would look great eight stories high.

Cellular phones and computers are getting tiny. Why are movies getting big?

As in-home entertainment gets better, there is a reciprocal demand for something bigger and better if you're going to part with your pesos or dollars. In order to get that, you need higher quality and bigger.

I didn't swim for five years after seeing Jaws as a kid. What's your first movie memory?

I'm going to date myself. My first movie memory is a movie called Sinbad. And a movie called The Day the Earth Stood Still. I didn't sleep for a week after seeing those films, when I was six or seven years old. I still think about Jaws when I swim today.