In order for a film to be released in cinemas, multiple versions of it have to be made to adjust for the different kinds of cinemas, local language tracks, 3D and more. Filmmaker James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” however goes above and beyond that with THR reporting that more than 600 different versions of the film are being made available – each one customised to specific theater configurations.
Evan Jacobs, Disney’s VP of Finishing and Stereo, says it’s “definitely the most complex delivery Marvel’s ever done”. He tells the trade that the aim is to “give every exhibitor in the United States and in most international territories [the ability to] maximize their screen size for the audience. So wherever you go to see it, you’re gonna see the best version.”
The versions are catered to the format of each theater’s screens, but it goes beyond that: “Then on top of that, because [Gunn’s] got this extra real estate, he’s essentially said, ‘I’m gonna pop in and out creatively [and you’ll] suddenly see something more immersive and bigger, that’s going to fill your screen'”.
One version is designed with variable aspect ratios as roughly 45 minutes of the movie is opened up to a flat 1.85 aspect ratio while the rest of the movie is letterboxed to 2.39. That version will be available in select ‘traditional’ theaters and some Dolby Cinema auditoriums.
The team also created a version of that only uses the 2.39 aspect ratio, and they mastered an IMAX 1.90 version designed specifically for the aspect ratio of IMAX auditoriums.
Jacobs says: “Gunn designed it and he shot and framed for it [with this in mind]. That was his creative intention… Aspect ratio is something that James has really enjoyed being part of the storytelling process.”
Some Marvel releases have had up to 500 versions available. Still, even this 600+ ‘Guardians’ number pales compared to James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” which crafted an unprecedented 1,065 versions with various combinations of 3D, HDR, 4K, varying light levels, aspect ratios and high frame rates along with local languages.
