If you were one of the lucky film-goers that experienced Christopher Nolan’s jaw-dropping (literally) IMAX sequences in The Dark Knight, you know this truly is the future of cinema. While 3D can be beneficial in some rare cases, this insanely high-resolution format is where its at. Unfortunately, we haven’t had a feature-length narrative film since The Dark Knight to take full advantage of the format. What you mostly see is unconverted footage. Tron: Legacy was the closest, but today IMAX has announced the next big one. Brad Bird‘s Mission: Impossible 4 – Ghost Protocol has specific scenes shot with IMAX cameras, like TDK.
Also announced are three more of 2011’s biggest blockbusters getting upconverted for the format. J.J. Abram‘s Super 8 (which we will see a new trailer of in March, Collider reports), Steven Spielberg‘s The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, and Michael Bay‘s Transformers: Dark of the Moon are going through that process. See the full press release below.
Los Angeles – January 12, 2011 – IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ:IMAX; TSX:IMX) today announced an agreement with Paramount Pictures to release four of the studio’s tentpole releases in 2011 – Super 8, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. Each film will open day-and-date in IMAX® theatres worldwide. Sony Pictures Entertainment is co-production partner on The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn and Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) will handle distribution and marketing in most key territories overseas.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon and The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, both originally shot in 3D, will be digitally re-mastered into IMAX’s format for presentation in IMAX® 3D.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol continues the legacy of The Dark Knight and its revolutionary integration of IMAX original footage as this fourth chapter in the Mission: Impossible franchise will feature scenes shot with IMAX cameras. These specific sequences, exclusively in IMAX, will expand on the screen and further immerse the audience in the explosive action and vast scope of the film.
“Consumer demand for The IMAX Experience® has never been higher,” said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures. “Coupled with the rising popularity of the IMAX brand, the growing number of IMAX screens and the increased interest from our top filmmakers to have their movies offered in this format, IMAX is and continues to be a key part of our release strategy.”
“Paramount Pictures consistently delivers top-quality, highly entertaining films that audiences love to see in IMAX, and with these new titles, we believe our 2011 lineup is on its way to becoming the most robust slate we’ve ever had,” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. “Our growing worldwide network will enable even more movie fans to experience their favorite films in the best possible way.”
“When you combine the incredible storytelling talents of J.J. Abrams, Michael Bay, Brad Bird, and Steven Spielberg with technologies that transport the audience into the story, you create an awe-inspiring experience that takes movie-goers to places they only dream of – and that is what the core and spirit of our partnership with Paramount Pictures is all about,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We are very excited to share these amazing event films with IMAX exhibitors and movie-goers and look forward to working with these brilliant filmmakers as they showcase their talents in our format.”
Super 8 will be released on June 10, 2011; Transformers: Dark of the Moon will be released on July 1, 2011; Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol will be released on December 16, 2011; and The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn will be released on December 28, 2011 (US release date).
Which of these are you most excited for?