Tag Archives: IMAX

‘Game of Thrones’ comes to IMAX theatres this month [Update: New release date & more participating theatres)

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It’s not Game of Thrones The Movie, but it’s as close as we’ll ever get to that. HBO has partnered up with IMAX to bring a couple episodes of the critically acclaimed fantasy series to the enhanced silver screen. This marks the first time ever that a TV series is being formatted for and screened in IMAX. From January 23 through the 29th, upwards of 150 IMAX theatres across the nation will showcase the final two episodes from season 4. As a refresher, those are “The Watchers on the Wall” (featuring the epic battle in which the Night’s Watch defend Castle Black from the wildlings) and “The Children” (the memorable season finale with deaths galore). In addition to showing these digitally re-mastered episodes, the event will also screen an exclusive trailer including never-before-scene looks at the highly anticipated upcoming fifth season of the series. Stick it here to find out if a theatre near you will host Game of Thrones in IMAX.

“The cinematic brilliance and grand scope of the series is perfect for the IMAX format,” said Pamela Levine, HBO’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We are always looking to provide fans with new and exciting ways to experience the show, and viewing two key episodes, along with the new trailer, on such an impressive platform makes for a great event.”

“IMAX always seeks innovative ways to provide moviegoers a unique and differentiated experience and today’s partnership with HBO and Game of Thrones achieves just that,” added IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond. “This deal also furthers our efforts to offer exhibitors the opportunity to participate in alternative forms of content in a new and exciting way.”

Update (1/14): Switch-up! IMAX has shifted the Game of Thrones limited-time screening event by one week. The two episodes plus the trailer will now hit big-screen theatres on Thursday, Jan. 29 and will extend through Feb. 5. The move was “prompted by extraordinary consumer response that drove online mentions for IMAX to record heights,” says IMAX, and the shift allows for a more expansive rollout; the event will now reach upwards of 200 theatres (that’s up from the previous count of 150). IMAX is also offering up the list of participating theatres now. Preorder tickets starting tomorrow, Jan. 16. And, if you’re one of the first 300 ticket holders you will be gifted a limited edition GoT poster at participating venues; eye them at that link.

Preview first nine minutes of ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ in IMAX 3D on December 14

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Was that split-second footage from Star Trek Into Darkness presented by director J.J. Abrams at Conan not enough for you? Starting December 14, select IMAX 3D theatres (approx. 500 of them) playing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will screen the first nine minutes from the Star Trek sequel.

Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment: “Our longtime partners J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and the Bad Robot team have really hit it out of the park – the footage is absolutely incredible. Their use of the IMAX Camera and canvas is sure to impress current and future Star Trek fans alike, and we’re thrilled to once again work with our friends at Paramount Pictures to offer this extended ‘first look’ at this highly anticipated summer blockbuster.”

Like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and some movies before it, Into Darkness includes scenes shot with IMAX rigs. According to Deadline, “sequences filmed with the extremely high-resolution cameras will expand to fill more of the screen with unprecedented crispness and clarity, putting moviegoers right into the explosive action and vast scope of the film.”

So if you want a taste of Abrams’ next vision in the Star Trek franchise, run (don’t walk) to your IMAX 3D theatre to experience never-before-seen footage from Into Darkness. The highly anticipated sequel is out May 17, 2013.

Director Sam Mendes talks in Bond ‘Skyfall’ video blog

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This will likely be the first of many video blogs from the set of the 23rd James Bond film Skyfall. In this one director Sam Mendes talks about shooting for the first time in England, and we even get a couple of glimpses of Daniel Craig as Bond in action. What’s the location, exactly? That’s still being kept under wraps, but if you have a keen eye and a solid memory this image should spark a fuse in your noggin.

Sure this one-and-a-half minute vlog is no Peter Jackson presenting The Hobbit masterpiece, but at least it introduces us to the next movie in the Bond franchise and teases a broader look behind the scenes in the future. Skyfall releases November 9, and in related news, it will be the first Bond film to hit IMAX theatres. According to a press release, “the IMAX release of Skyfall will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology.” So in other words Mendes will not shoot scenes made for IMAX (like Chris Nolan has done in his Batman movies), but nevertheless this is an exciting treat for fans of the long-running franchise. Bond will certainly took good on the giant screen.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue hits theatres December 16 (new movie poster enclosed)

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Though the summer 2012 release of The Dark Knight Rises seems like it’s ages away, director Christopher Nolan wants to satiate eager fans now by releasing a 6-minute prologue into theatres later this month. The prologue, which will introduce Batman’s latest villain Bane (played by Tom Hardy) to moviegoers, will play in front of select IMAX screenings of Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol starting Friday December 16. Remember when Warner Bros. showed off the opening bank heist sequence from The Dark Knight in front of the Will Smith-starrer I Am Legend back in 2008? The studio is doing it again with Nolan’s final Batman movie in the Christian Bale-starring trilogy. This is being done for two reasons: one, it’s a great way to publicize the upcoming movie and get people talking about it; and two, the thrill and immersion of the early IMAX experience will make audiences opt for the pricier ticket when the film releases in full next year.

In an interview with EW, Nolan talked about how much his next film was actually shot in 70mm for IMAX. “We shot about twice what we did last time [on The Dark Knight], at least. Last time we were about 25 minutes [in IMAX]. Obviously, I haven’t cut [the rest of The Dark Knight Rises] yet, so I don’t know the exact running time, but I think we’ll be in the 45 to 50 minute range. Basically all the actions sequences, and some of the more large-scale other bits of the film that aren’t necessarily action. We even shot some dialogue scenes and some quite intimate dramatic scenes, which we haven’t done before. And so some of that will make its way into the film.”

I will reiterate that the prologue will only play in front of Mission: Impossible in select IMAX theatres. Look after the break for a listing of the theatres (provided by Deadline) and confirm with theatres that they’re playing it before making a purchase.

Bonus! Check out the brand spankin’ new poster for The Dark Knight Rises above. It features the villainous Bane who seems to have “broken the Bat” just like he does in the comics. The tagline “The Legend Ends” serves as an antithesis to the movie’s title The Dark Knight Rises and so it breathes an air of mystery. Will Batman survive Nolan’s threequel? We shall find out on July 20, 2012. (Download the full-size poster here.) Continue reading ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue hits theatres December 16 (new movie poster enclosed) →

3net, a 24/7 3D network, set to launch Sunday on DirecTV

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I know you’ve been waiting with so much anticipation since late December 2009 to hear this news. DirecTV is nearly ready to launch the 24/7 3D network dubbed 3net, the joint venture of Sony Corp., Discovery Communications, and IMAX Corp. On Sunday, February 13 at precisely 8PM ET 3net will be accessible exclusively to DirecTV customers. The network plans to premiere original 3D series and programs every night at 9PM ET. Sony, Discovery, and IMAX hope that the network will “serve as a critical driver for consumer adoption of in-home 3D entertainment” with their goal for the channel “to offer viewers the largest library of native 3D entertainment content in the world by the end of 2011.” China Revealed, Into the Deep, and Forgotten Planet is the Feb. 13 lineup, so if you’re a satellite subscriber and own a 3DTV tune to channel 107 to experience TV in an entirely new dimension. Official PR after the break.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading 3net, a 24/7 3D network, set to launch Sunday on DirecTV →

TRON NIGHT summary & impressions

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On October 28 Tron fans were treated to an early glimpse into the upcoming Disney movie Tron: Legacy.  Across the world select IMAX 3D theatres hosted TRON NIGHT, “a free exclusive 20+ minute sneak peek” of the movie.  I attended the special screening tonight, and here is a summary interjected with my impressions.

When I got to the theatre about an hour before the 7PM screening, there was already a small line forming.  While movie-goers waited on line we were handed Tron swag including promotional material about the size of a postcard; one is an image of Daft Punk in costume promoting the upcoming Tron soundtrack and the other is an image of a Tron program character and on the other side a promotion for an Asus laptop (they sponsored the event).  We were also required to check-in and wear a bracelet with the TRON NIGHT logo on it.  Don’t think I’ll be taking that off any time soon.  Before entering the IMAX 3D theatre, we were forced to leave our cell phones behind (for obvious reasons) and a security officer quickly scanned our bodies with a wand to make sure we weren’t harboring any electronic devices.  Crazy, right?  After receiving a pair of 3D glasses, we entered the theatre and took our (perfect!) seats.

A minute before showtime the event coordinator welcomed everyone to the screening and implored us to share our excitement for Tron: Legacy with friends and on the Internet (what do you think I’m doing right now?).  The lights went dim and we were presented with a brief message from the movie’s director Joseph Kosinski.  In a typed note, he told us that the scenes we were about to see take place in the first half of the movie and that it is OK to wear the 3D glasses during the 2D scenes.  Just in case you are not aware of this, the “real world” scenes were shot in 2D and the “Tron universe” scenes are in 3D.  After this brief introduction the sneak preview started right away (that’s right–no trailers).  The 23 minutes of (not entirely) never-before-seen footage was split into five scenes.  I will detail them as best I can below.

Scene 20: Sam’s Garage– This first scene was set in the “real world”, so it was shot in 2D but still looked brilliant with 3D glasses on (as the director promised it would).  The scene takes place in Sam Flynn’s (Garrett Hedlund) garage.  You’d recognize this scene from the trailer.  In it Sam and Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) engage in conversation and Alan tells Sam that he received a page from Flynn’s arcade.  Alan: “These are the keys to the arcade.  I haven’t gone over there yet.  I thought you should be the one.”  Sam: “Alan, you’re acting like I’m gonna find him sitting there working.  Just, ‘hey kiddo, lost track of time.'”  These lines are in the trailer, you’re starting to remember now.

This next part is included in Scene 20, but it sure felt like an entirely new setting as it took place elsewhere.  It cuts from Sam’s garage to the vacant and dusty Flynn’s Arcade.  Sam decided to take Alan’s advice and check out where the mysterious page could have come from.  Sam finds the circuit breaker and turns on the building’s power.  All of the arcade games light up and make so much noise.  On top of this Jouney’s “Separate Ways” plays loudly from the arcade’s sound system.  Sam looks at the dusty old Tron arcade machine and decides to play a round.  He inserts a quarter but it falls to the ground.  He is curious about a precise crack in the floor and manages to move the Tron machine to reveal a hidden passageway behind it.  Inside he finds a door with a key occupied in its hole and he enters a room.  It appears to be his father’s secret office where he stored a certain computer.  Sam looks around the room and we are shown images of a young Sam with his now-missing father and a blueprint labeled “Grid.”  Sam sits down at the touchscreen computer desk, wipes a thick layer of dust off it, and it turns on from standby mode.  He begins to type away but has no luck accessing the system since he doesn’t know the login information.  “Let’s try the back door,” he whispers to himself.  All of a sudden, a large laser projector-like machine turns on behind him.  It emits this whirring sound and suddenly a bright white light flashes and the scene ends. Continue reading TRON NIGHT summary & impressions →

Avatar is coming back to IMAX 3D for a limited two week run with new footage

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Here’s what you need to know.  James Cameron’s epic Avatar is coming to back to theatres for a limited two week run from August 27 to September 10.  It will only be shown in IMAX 3D theatres and will include “eight minutes of additional, never before seen footage.”  So, if you haven’t seen the highest grossing movie of all time yet this is your chance to catch it the way it was meant to be seen–in IMAX 3D.  And if you have seen the movie and enjoyed it the first time around, you might be interested in kicking back a second time to catch the new bits of footage.  The movie looks fantastic in IMAX 3D because it was shot for that particular medium.  If you purchased the movie on DVD or Blu-ray and haven’t see it yet, hold off on that until you’ve seen it in 3D.  Trust me, it’s worth it.

[Via MarketWatch]