I am not sure if this is big news or not, but I do know it is pricey news. Word out of USA Today is that Christopher Nolan is going big for The Dark Knight, and by big I mean IMAX big. Apparently he will be shooting four of the action sequences from the movie in the IMAX format, an expensive and cumbersome process that typically is the province of documentaries and short films. IMAX film, which is 10 times the size of standard film stock, is costly and must be shot using bulky cameras.
The biggest piece of it is that the introduction of Heath Ledger as the Joker will be one of those scenes. Nolan told the paper, “You can’t do this on any home theater… Batman has some of the most extraordinary characters in pop culture. We wanted the Joker to have the grandest entrance possible.”
Nolan is a fan of the process and also said, “There’s simply nothing like seeing a movie that way… It’s more immersive for the audience. I wish I could shoot the entire thing this way.”
I just wonder if I will be able to tell the difference. Shooting on IMAX, Nolan says, will have a twofold effect. The four scenes will fill the IMAX screens, some of which are eight stories high. And in traditional theaters, the scenes will appear more vivid (think high-definition television over standard).
If it works out that way then I am all for it. The article does say that the chances of this catching on are slim since there are only 100 IMAX theaters worldwide that show feature films of the 280 theaters out there.
To check out the full article as well as a new image from the film click here.
