- Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imaxdelved into the way in which The ambitious format has changed the way we make and watch movies.
- According to the CEO, tapes like Oppenheimer y Dune 2, have created the idea that Imax is the way the big blockbusters “should be seen”, which has drawn audiences back to movie theaters.
- Despite its success and although great filmmakers assure that Imax is the future of cinema, The company is still not an outstanding investment avenue on Wall Street, although its CEO assures that this could change soon.
How much does the success of the big blockbusters have to do with the Imax format? According to the CEO of said company, a large part of it. Well during a conversation with the Variety portal, Rich Gelfond, leader of Imax internationally, assured that the ambitious format has been key part in attracting audiences to movie theaters.
And recently, titles like Oppenheimer y Dune 2, They stood out for becoming true cinematographic experiences, which has been reflected both in their box office and in the conversation around them. But, How much has the Imax format influenced it? Gelfond explains it!
Imagen: Universal Pictures
Wouldn’t Oppenheimer have been the same without Imax?
Through an interview with the Variety portal, Rich Gelmond, CEO of Imax, highlighted the role of ambitious technology in current cinema, ensuring that through their screensviewers have returned to theaters in search of “the full experience.”
This effect, he noted, was especially reflected with Oppenheimer, the Christopher Nolan film that ranked among the highest grossing films of 2023, despite initial predictions against it. Well, according to Gelfond, exhibitors were opposed to the idea of projecting on Imax screens Oppenheimer rather Mission: Impossible —Dead Reckoning, which was estimated to be one of the biggest hits of the year.
However, Gelfond defended the decision for one simple reason: Oppenheimer had been filmed with Imax cameras —licensed by the same company—, and Part of the deal after the acquisition was exclusivity in theaters of said format for three weeks.
The move was in favor of Imax, since Oppenheimer not only became a great monetary success for Universal, but was crowned as the highest grossing film in Imax theaters in recent years.
“It was a simple decision. The first film that committed to us wins. We got engaged to Chris [Nolan] and Chris has been committed to Imax for many years as well.”
Rich Gelfond
In response, the producer Emma Thomas thanked Imax for the role they played in the making of Oppenheimer, which recently won the Oscar for Best Picture. However, in strict box office terms, Gelfond assured that in addition to the “great movie Chris made”one of the things that influenced became a success was both its filming and screening in the format.
“Oppenheimer proved only one thing. “It’s not that Imax is the ‘best option’ to watch a movie, but rather it’s the way the director wants you to watch the movie,” he sentenced. According to Variety, the Oppenheimer phenomenon not only brought audiences to theaters, but also promoted the transfer of spectators to states where the film could be seen in 70mm, selling out performances for entire weeks.
Image: David Keighley/IMAX
Is making films in Imax still very complex?
The other great success story of Imax has been Dune 2, the tape Denis Villeneuve which was also filmed with special lenses for the format. At the timethe director pointed out that this technology was “the future of cinema,” Well, beyond the size, it stood out “the level of quality” of the format.
However, although the format has become a favorite route for Villeneuve or Nolan, the truth is that Not all studios and filmmakers are betting on Imax within Hollywood, and investment on Wall Street is limited. In this regard, Gelfond pointed out that there is not much presence of investors since “they do not have a point of comparison to give the fair price”, adding that they have tried to put them above the category of movie theaters, when that is not all that represents the company.
“Comparing ourselves to cinemas is as ridiculous as comparing us to a steel company” the CEO explained, adding that they should be considered from the other side of the screen, from the production space. To generate revenue, Imax licenses its technology—screen, sound, and projectors—to various theaters. And in turn, It allows filmmakers to choose between their filming equipment: an Imax camera (of which there are only 8), or lenses to modify digital cameras.
“It is a model based on the assets we have. “We do not own cinemas, nor do we sell concessions” Gelfond noted. For this reason, in terms of filming topics, Imax continues to be a topic that, reduced to economic terms, complicates the interest of the studios in acquiring itsince the costs do not always fit with those alreadyInflated Hollywood budgets.
Is Imax saving cinemas?
The Variety portal highlighted the role of Imax in the two most critical moments of cinemas in recent years: the pandemic and the Hollywood strikes. In the first, it was not only the big blockbusters that brought audiences back to the theaters, but “the way of seeing it”. That is why Gelfond explained that superhero productions still have a lot to give, ensuring that “the funeral of the genre is still very far away.”
In 2024, Imax began to see results after months of drought due to the pandemic thanks to Dune 2which, the CEO pointed out, is the first in a long list of productions that They are already preparing to hit the biggest screens.
Among them, he highlighted Deadpool & Wolverine and Joker: Folie à Deux to revive attendance at the rooms, “It is a much better year than it seems from the outside” signed Gelfond.
“Imax is one of the best allies a filmmaker can have” noted Todd Phillips, who used both IMAX cameras and lenses in both Joker films, “If you stick to the format, the benefits you get are 10 times better”he finished.
Image: Universal
2024-04-04 20:39:21
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