One story over the weekend that caught a lot of people’s attention tied to Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” being seen in its best possible form – true IMAX 70mm film.
However, only 41 of those cinemas exist worldwide, with 25 of them in the United States. With screenings at these venues selling out for weeks, it begs the obvious question – why aren’t they building more?
IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond was asked the question, and his answer surprised many as he revealed “they haven’t made new IMAX film projectors in about 50 years”. He said what is out there now they had to find, retrofit and rebuild from old parts that aren’t being made anymore. The result is “not practical” to build more than at the pace they currently can.
Some suggested he was bluffing, cynics dubbing it IMAX simply ‘enforcing artificial scarcity’ to maximise shareholder returns. But now, sources at IMAX have explained to Variety that Gelfond’s comments were spot on.
They say that many of the parts needed to build these specialised film projectors “simply no longer exist”. The original design files were created roughly half a century ago and never properly maintained, meaning IMAX “no longer has a complete manufacturing blueprint”.
In addition, they say “very few engineers working today fully understand the systems”. The widespread transition from film to digital projection in the late 2000s led manufacturers to mostly stop producing film projectors and the replacement parts that came with them.
While filmmakers like Chris Nolan and Denis Villeneuve have helped usher in a rise of new interest in the format, genuine film projectors very much remain a “niche experience” these days.
Even getting as wide a footprint as they did for “The Odyssey,” increasing the number of IMAX 70MM-capable screens from 30 to 41, took over a year and a “massive effort to track down broken, abandoned and often-forgotten projectors, salvaging parts to refurbish and install additional projectors”.
In addition, 60 new projectionists also had to be trained from scratch. At the same time, exhibitors aren’t building enough auditoriums capable of housing the format’s towering 1.43:1 screens because of the high construction costs. Even if IMAX somehow could make more fast, there are few theatres where they could actually be installed.
In an official statement, the company tells the trade:
“Imax exists to help filmmakers bring their visions to life; we would love more Imax 70mm systems out there for the growing number of filmmakers who want to create and present in this one-of-a-kind format. We leave no stone unturned in getting additional film projectors into our global network, and that includes exploring new projection technologies. In the meantime, the frenzy around Imax 70mm somehow continues to find new ways to surprise us.”
The next major film to be, at least partially, shot with IMAX 70mm cameras is “Dune: Part Three” which opens on December 18th.
