IMAX Ditching 3D Films

The 3D cinema fad is coming to an end, it seems. IMAX, responsible for the large-format cinema presentations, is planning to cut back on 3D film releases. According to IMAX Entertainment CEO Greg Foster, the move is motivated by “customer preference”. This suggests that audiences don’t want to pay for 3D.

No More 3D Films in IMAX

On a recent earnings call, Foster said (via The Wrap):

“It’s worth noting ‘Dunkirk’ was showing exclusively in 2-D, which consumers have shown a strong preference for.

We’re looking forward to playing fewer 3-D versions of films and more 2-D versions.”

As a result, Blade Runner 2049 will be released in IMAX 2D exclusively this October, he added.

Though IMAX is nixing 3D, it remains committed to VR. The company opened its first IMAX VR Arcade earlier this year.

The IMAX Standard

IMAX is a 70mm film format and projection standard. While 70mm film came into being in 1929, it failed against the more practical 35mm standard, which still prevails today. It wasn’t until the late-Sixties that IMAX became a formalised standard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuNP-l2RViE

While IMAX remains a niche format, it garnered a number of high-profile advocates over the years. Nolan is one such proponent, who first used the format for sections of his 2008 blockbuster The Dark Knight. In fact, Nolan even destroyed two of the four existing IMAX cameras during the making of his two final Batman films. He since used the 70mm standard to shoot – to varying degrees – Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk.