IMAX looks to make the format more accessible for filmmakers amid wildly successful theatrical releases.
The Big Picture
- IMAX introduces new, advanced cameras for filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Jordan Peele to enhance cinematic experience.
- Recent IMAX hits like
Oppenheimer
,
Dune: Part Two
, account for significant portions of global box office revenue. - Upcoming 2025 films like
Captain America: Brave New World
, and
Superman
shot in IMAX promise immersive theater experiences.
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival is currently underway in France showcasing some of the biggest films nearing release and the buzziest new projects coming in the next few years. As the event looks forward to the future of cinema, IMAX used the platform to unveil the 2025 Filmed for IMAX slate, a selection of at least 14 major films that were shot with IMAX film or utilized IMAX-certified digital cameras. Along with it, however, the company unveiled its new tools of the trade that will come into play in many new films to come — next-generation cameras that look to push the premium format to new heights on the big screen.
IMAX is preparing to roll out four 15/65mm film cameras which could begin beta testing with early prototypes in August. These modernized models will boast higher image quality than ever before, along with a 30% reduction in noise and other new features and functionality that will translate to crisp footage on the big screen. Currently, nine 15/65mm IMAX cameras exist within the company’s fleet, but the new models will greatly bolster numbers in circulation within the industry. To improve on what’s already being used, IMAX turned to filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Jordan Peele, and Hoyte van Hoytema for feedback on what could be tweaked to make IMAX cameras even better than before. Production is expected to begin on the new cameras by the end of 2024.
Part of the need for more powerful cameras is due to recent smash hits in IMAX. Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two have particularly crushed it at the IMAX box office of late, placing as the fifth and seventh highest-grossing films in that format and accounting for 20% and 21% of their global totals through IMAX alone while enjoying lengthy runs on its screens. As a whole, the company is pulling in a greater share of film revenue than ever before despite only accounting for less than 1% of movie screens worldwide. IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond expressed how the increase in use of the premium format and constant improvements to technology will be a big win for consumers looking to get the most out of their movie theater experience:
“As more of the world’s best filmmakers create specifically for our platform, IMAX is becoming as much about excellence in production as it is presentation of the biggest blockbuster filmmaking. Quite simply, audiences get that if you see a movie Filmed for IMAX in IMAX, you’re getting the best, most immersive cinematic experience money can buy, which is why we’re driving a huge share of the global box office on these titles.”
What Future Films Will Be Making Use of IMAX?
While it may be some time before these new cameras make their presence known in the industry, the future of IMAX is bright with a record number of films coming in 2025 embracing the format. Leading the Filmed for IMAX slate is the long-awaited Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) intense first solo title on the big screen that arrives in February. It’s one of four MCU outings coming next year that’s shooting for success on the biggest and brightest screens possible, with Thunderbolts bowing on May 2, followed by The Fantastic Four on July 25, and Blade on November 7. DC is also bound for IMAX, with James Gunn‘s Superman shot entirely in the format. This year, Todd Phillips‘s Joker: Folie à Deux will also make the most of IMAX, being entirely shot in the format and preparing for a limited theatrical run in 70mm film.
Stay tuned here at Collider for more coverage from the Cannes Film Festival. Get a look at the new IMAX camera models in the gallery above.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Sequel to the 2019 film ‘Joker.’
- Release Date
- October 4, 2024
- Director
- Todd Phillips
- Cast
- Joaquin Phoenix , Zazie Beetz , Brendan Gleeson , Lady Gaga
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Writers
- Todd Phillips , Jerry Robinson , Scott Silver , bruce timm , Paul Dini , Bill Finger , Bob Kane
This article was originally published on collider.com