Star Wars: Episode VII May Be Shot In IMAX
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It’s fitting that the biggest movie of the decade will be shot in the biggest format available. Now that J.J. Abrams has found a cinematographer for Star Wars: Episode VII, it looks like he’s trying to shoot the newest entry in the Star Wars saga in the glorious IMAX format.
According to Ain’t It Cool News, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond recently addressed investors at a Goldman Sachs conference. Gelfond mentioned that IMAX Entertainment may partner up with Disney and Lucasfilm for Star Wars: Episode VII. “We are talking to J.J. Abrams test now about the next Star Wars being used with partly IMAX cameras.”
It’s believed that the word “test” is a typo and AICN’s source meant to write the word “team” instead. If true, Star Wars: Episode VII would be the first Star Wars movie to be presented in the IMAX format. This wouldn’t be the first time J.J. Abrams used the cinematic technology while making a movie, however. Abrams shot a few action Star Trek Into Darkness‘ sequences in IMAX, and his previous film, Super 8 was scaled up and presented as an IMAX presentation, although it wasn’t a true 76×97 feet 70mm IMAX film.
But still, if Star Wars: Episode VII will now be an IMAX movie, there’s a good chance that it’s box office might grow bigger from the IMAX surcharge. It is also most likely that the new film would also be presented in 3D, which would also increase its total box office grosses. For some perspective, if the film were released today in IMAX and 3D in New York City, it would cost $21.50 to watch Star Wars: Episode VII. Lord only knows how much it would be in 2015.
Last month, Abrams brought on cinematographer Dan Mindel to shoot Episode VII. Mindel is one of Abrams’ long-time collaborators, with the pair having worked together on Star Trek and Mission: Impossible III. Mindel also worked on a few films for the late Tony Scott, including Domino, Spy Game, and Enemy of the State. Abrams also announced that the new film would be shot using Kodak 35mm film stock 5219, which would make Ep VII the first time a Star Wars movie was shot on actual film since The Phantom Menace in 1999.
Meanwhile, the film has yet to be cast, so rumors are flying around like the Millennium Falcon through an asteroid field. The actors being rumored to be in consideration include David Oyelowo, Michael B. Jordan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Saoirse Ronan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and Alex Pettyfer. At the moment, no one has officially been announced or confirmed for the film’s cast, although the involvement of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher are almost foregone conclusions. The production may also be on the hunt for new Wookiees, as original Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew is far too ill to reprise the iconic role.
Star Wars: Episode VII will hit theaters everywhere sometime in 2015, in IMAX.
