Why the Star Trek Sequel Will Be Like Nothing You've Seen Before

IMAX Corporation and Paramount Pictures announced today that the sequel to J.J. Abrams' 2009 blockbuster Star Trek, will be released in the immersive IMAX® 3D format on May 17, 2013. The film represents the second feature in the ground-breaking franchise to be released in IMAX following Star Trek, which grossed more than $375 million at the worldwide box office.


Following on the heels of Paramount Pictures' and Bad Robot's 2011 hit, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, the filmmakers have once again taken full advantage of the IMAX® camera as well as the clarity and scope that The IMAX Experience® provides in order to transport fans into this 23rd century world. Several key sections of the film that feature big action set pieces have been captured with IMAX cameras, which has become an integral tool for visionary filmmakers to tell their amazing stories.

Exclusively in IMAX, sequences shot with the extremely high-resolution cameras will expand to fill the entire screen and further immerse the audience in the vast dimension and adventure of this highly-anticipated follow-up. Directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Damon Lindelof (Prometheus), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek) the sequel follows another chapter of the USS Enterprise crew's exploration into the unknown. Returning to their posts on the Enterprise are Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Bruce Greenwood. They are joined by new cast members Peter Weller and Alice Eve.

"We were so thrilled with the creative results of shooting IMAX for Mission: Impossible that we jumped at the chance to use the format for Star Trek. All expectations were exceeded -- the action and resolution is insane at this scale. We cannot wait for audiences to see the crew of the Enterprise in a way they never have before," said J.J. Abrams.

"J.J. and the filmmaking team behind the Star Trek franchise are once again working to give audiences one of the best film going experiences available today,"said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures. "Following the great success of the first film in the newly revived franchise, the sequel to Star Trek will no doubt be among the top choices for moviegoers next summer."

"We are extremely proud to be continuing our successful partnership with Paramount Pictures, J.J., Bryan Burk, Bad Robot and the entire Star Trek team through this iconic franchise that has the perfect DNA for IMAX fans," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment.

The IMAX release of the Star Trek sequel will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

Source: PRNewswire 

Image Copyright (c) Paramount Pictures

Views: 65

Tags: Film, Geek Culture, movies, star trek

Comment by Nick Heazell on July 16, 2012 at 3:39pm

Awesome news!

Comment by HaZ VFX on August 5, 2012 at 3:50am

Thats awesome!  I also heard that they were "post converting" the film instead of shooting 3D...

Comment by Kristy Barkan on August 5, 2012 at 8:56am

You're right, Haz. J.J. Abrams is one of those anti-digital holdouts. He didn't want to do the movie in 3D because it would require him to use to digital cameras. He's quoted as saying that the initial post-conversion results for the first Star Trek "looked really good," which convinced him that it would be OK for the sequel. But...ultimately, I don't think he had any say in the matter, so all he could do to save face is to agree with Paramount that going 3D after the fact was a good move.

I can't say that I'm a big fan of 3D post conversion. Post-converted films perfectly exemplify the Hollywood half-ass job. Studios can put off the decision on 3D until later, (even until after they see the box office results), it's cheaper, and it ultimately boils to down how much respect they have for their audience. They really don't think that the majority of their viewers will register the quality difference between production 3D and post 3D. Kind of like when they decide to release a film about a group of blue-collar workers who burrow into the Earth's core and find it to be a vast cavern full of sparkly stalactites. 

The respect is mutual, studio executives.

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