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Thursday, March 20, 2014

Star Wars Episode VII will be in IMAX; Disney extends partnership with IMAX

Disney put out a press release today stating they have renewed their partnership with IMAX and will continue releasing major films in the IMAX format. Films included in the release are Marvel releases Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers: Age of Ultron as well as Maleficent, Tomorrowland and Star Wars Episode VII. I would also expect all of these to receive IMAX 3D branding as well since that seems to be the trend. It's a bad trend but what can you do.
According to the release, the extended partnership between IMAX and Disney will act as a strategy for IMAX action releases and highly anticipated live-action ventures.

This doesn't really surprise me as Disney films have been released in the IMAX format for many years already. I still remember when they first started doing theatrical re-releases in IMAX because I saw Fantasia 2000, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King in IMAX back in the day. Due to disappointing box office numbers the re-releases of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid were canceled. However, since then we have seen films such as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, John Carter, Tron: Legacy, Alice in Wonderland, The Avengers, and Frankenweenie receive IMAX engagements along with regular theatrical release. 
Plus, IMAX tickets cost a little bit more and so do 3D tickets, so it makes sense to bump up the theatrical experience for major blockbusters and make a little more profit out of it. I personally prefer IMAX screens so this is perfectly fine with me.




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