The Dark Knight goes Imax

It’s becoming a real trend for movies to appear on vertigo inducing Imax screens, but in a first for the format, a new movie will actually feature some sequences shot using Imax cameras.

The film? Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight. The director? Christopher Nolan.

"In continuing the story of such a great icon, I'm thrilled to be able to expand the scope of the film, not just in terms of its story, but in giving Batman and the Joker the largest possible canvas on which to face off,” mouthed Nolan in a statement that sounds either like a PR person scribbled it in their lunch hour or he had a gun to his head. “No existing technology compares with the Imax format in terms of its ability to throw the audience into the action, and we're very proud and excited to use this technology in a way that no one has before."

According to the release, Nolan has already shot one sequence- a prologue featuring Heath Ledger’s Joker – with Imax equipment during a pre-production burst of filming in Chicago. Three more scenes will be lensed using the tech as the shoot continues.

But while the film will play in regular cinemas, the Imax scenes apparently will be more vivid and colourful, described by one executive as comparing HD TV to regular TV. And, naturally, watching the scenes on an Imax screen should be quite an experience…

Now we have to wait and see what it looks like when The Dark Knight swoops into cinemas next July.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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