IMAX has signed a new pact with Warner Bros. that will send high-profile films such as Justice League, Wonder Woman, Blade Runner 2049, and the latest films from Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg to IMAX theatres.
The deal further extends the pair’s initial 2003 agreement, and includes up to 12 new films from the studio. The Lego Batman Movie, Minecraft, Kong: Skull Island, a Godzilla sequel, a Tomb Raider reboot, and the first sequel to this autumn’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are among the other chosen titles.
Spielberg’s Ready Player One, based on the bestseller by Ernest Cline, will be released on March 30, 2018. The Christopher Nolan-directed Second World War drama Dunkirk, which is using IMAX cameras to shoot several large action sequences, is also part of the pact. It will land in IMAX theatres and regular movie houses on July 21. Nolan previously used the technology on The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar.
Justice League and Wonder Woman are the next steps in Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment’s ongoing superhero franchise, which will eventually include The Flash, Aquaman, Shazam, and other titles.
Distributing a big-budget tent-pole title in the large-screen IMAX format can provide an extra boost to a film’s box office, as tickets are typically priced much higher, and many fans tend to flock to the giant-sized theatres during a film’s opening weekend. In 2015, Warner Bros.’ DC-powered films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad also got the IMAX release treatment, along with the studio’s big screen take on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
