New Star Trek Movie Likely Headed For IMAX

Next summer’s Star Trek movie is going to be big and quite possibly literally big, as in IMAX big. FirstShowing.net is reporting that it looks like the new Star Trek film will be presented in IMAX format. Although the film was not shot with IMAX cameras it can still be converted to the larger IMAX format.    

 

Another Star Trek first
TrekMovie has sought confirmation on this report from Paramount, so far there is no exact confirmation, but it seems very plausible and in fact it would be surprising if the new Star Trek movie were not done in IMAX. It has become commonplace for ‘summer tent pole’ films to get an IMAX version and Paramount is certainly giving Star Trek the ‘tent pole treatment.’ However this would be the first Star Trek film to ever be shown on IMAX.

Firstshowing is reporting that Star Trek would be converted to the 70MM IMAX format. IMAX is a much higher resolution format and the theaters feature screens over 50 feet high and 70 feet wide. There are 320 IMAX theaters in 42 countries, however many of those are solely for educational use (as in museums). More info at IMAX.com.

Star Trek’s previous (almost) IMAX movie
In 1997 it was announced that Paramount was developing "Star Trek IMAX" a 40 minute 3-D movie made specifically for IMAX theaters, with a budget of $10 million. Rick Berman (along with Hans Tobeason) developed a  story and it was said to included a cross-over of the Trek casts including Colm Meaney playing Miles O’Brien and David Warner playing Gorkon. However, the project never got out of development. More on "Star Trek IMAX" at Memory Alpha and the Star Trek: IMAX fan page

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Please make it 3D!!!

Star Trek XII in 3D please :D

Interesting I recall seeing BEOWULF and THE DARK KNIGHT on IMAX this last year or so and commenting to my various viewing pals that a STAR TREK IMAX film would be very cool. In 3D even cooler! Looks like part of that may come true. I also remember hearing about that possible IMAX 3-D STAR TREK film in the past. Thanks for the reminder info on that.

I don’t normally go to the IMAX theatre, but I would for this!!

I think all things Trek are in for a wonderful new rebirth and refreshing. Go J.J. Abrams!

“Rick Berman developed a story”

>shudder!<

This will be extremely awesome!

Thank You Paramount! I was hoping this would happen!

May have to plan a trip to Bristol or maybe even London next may!

ok you run this baby in IMAX and I’ll forget everything negative l’ve said about this movie. IMAX would be a dream come true.

If it’s not actually shot with IMax cameras how would they put it on the screens? Just stretch it out? Just curious…

Kelvington, they would use what they call the IMAX DMR process – they would digitally remaster the film to be played on the IMAX screen.

Rick Berman! AArrrgghhhh!

This IMAX thing, whether 3D or 2D, is totally frustrating here in Germany for people who want to watch films in the original language. There are lots of IMAX theaters in Germany, but not enough to ensure economically feasible screenings of original versions, not even in big cities. And I won’t watch a film if it’s not shown in the original language. My local IMAX theater told me that they are probably not even going to show Avatar in English. Only a tiny minority of people want the combination English plus IMAX, so they told me. :-\

That would be fantastic! I saw the last two Batman movies in IMAX and I loved it (although the flying-over-the-city parts made me a bit woozy…).

Oh man. That would be cool. There’s so many cool movies coming to Imax next year.

I was just pondering the other night if it would be on Imax and now this..oh HELL YES!!!!!!!!!

Imax is nice.
Winning a date with Zoe is even better.
Oh yeah, I’m married…
grrrrrr / no, not really, but… ya know, Zoe and all.

I hope I will see the movie twice:

first, during the premiere in Paris
second… in IMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXX!

This wouldn’t really affect me – I live in the UK, and the nearest IMAX cinema is in Birmingham, about 50 miles away from Nottingham, where I live.

And to everyone in the US – 50 miles is a long way when you’re driving along British roads! Damn, we suck at building roads. And the roads around Birmingham are some of the worst in the country.

A shame, ‘cos I did go to an IMAX theatre when I was 14 and visiting the US – and it was COOL!

IMAX? Coool.

Unless they shot it in 3D, it’s too late for that, guys.

Yeah, I read they passed on 3D this go-round. But it would’ve been cool to havemost of the major effects sequences in space, in 3D. The orbital skydiving sequence would’ve been cool as well. But the main thing is to make it work as a movie first, then add the gimmicks later.

shouldn’t berman be a curse word on these boards?

Yet another reason I wish I lived close enough to an IMAX theater….

I hate those Berman-bashing posts.

Not IMAX and not 3D can substitute good stories and belieaveble characters.

This new star trek has nothing to do with the core of what star trek is all about.. to me it looks just like an effort from people who dont understand what star trek really is, to make a movie more like star wars. Their goal?

This is funny, they THINK they are making this new movie more popular by de-star treking it.. lollll making it more like starwars or other movies.

Sorry, this is the exact reason why it will be forgotten very soon.

Star trek has the ingredients to be super.. and they were all in TOS, you didnt have to try to be smart about it and change that…

But Abrams wasnt never a trekkie and he never got it.. if he had he wouldnt be doing what I see…

And what I see is star trek gone bad…

its sad to see that all this money is spent on something star trek without a message and view of optimism about the future, especially now that the would could really use such a message.

Gesh I could be a great consultant for a star trek movie!

Star trek TOS led the way to greater days and achievements, since then Star trek become darker and darker… and full of techno jargon, and nothing of the original spirit of star trek.

Awesome News!!!

I’ll definitely be going to see it in IMAX then.

While I’m not fond of some interpretations and liberties that Rick Berman took with Trek … I think folks ought to lighten up on him. If not for Berman, (along with Piller, Moore, Behr, Taylor, Braga and many others), we wouldn’t have had any Star Trek to appreciate/complain about over the past 20 years.

Not exactly the first Trek Film to be shown in IMAX. Here in Chicago, back when the Imax first opened on Navy Pier, they would often show 70mm prints of various movies. Star Trek II TWOK was one that was in constant rotation. While I unfortunately never got to see it on the super big screen, I did get to see a 70mm print of 2001: A Space Odyssey..ANd that was one awesome Theater-going experience. I wish they would bring those evenings back, and start showing that 70 mm TWOK again!

Hectic space battles in IMAX …

Either really cool or really nauseating, we shall see!

I’d rather see a higher-quality image than a neck-craningly huge image any day.

Chief O’Brien and Gorkon in the same movie? Oh yeah… time travel. Sheez!

I saw DARK KNIGHT at IMAX. Putting STAR TREK in this format is HUGE!
Excuse the pun … but this is great news. It seems JJ and Paramount are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to bring STAR TREK back to the masses. Good Work!

25. its sad to see that all this money is spent on something star trek without a message and view of optimism about the future, especially now that the would could really use such a message.

Wow, two teaser trailers and a handful of spoilers and we already know the message of the movie and how its not optimistic? Impressive.

ANYWAY, it looks like I’ll have to drive up to Indianapolis again to experience ST09 in IMAX. Went to see The Dark Knight up there (3:15 am showing, I can’t recommend the time slot), but the experience was incredible. Trekmovie people going to the Indy IMAX should wear nametags and get together. That’d be awesome.

33. Don’t you mean ST11?

I can confirm that there has been some murmuring and rumination that this could be at the IMAX at the Space & Rocket Center here in Huntsville.

Rick Berman = He who shall not be named

Bless him

#20: James –
Trust me, the highways here in California are much worse than Britain’s. Sure, there are more lanes here, but it’s far safer to drive fast on England’s motorways than on California’s bumpy, pot-holed, badly-designed freeways.

Rick Berman was good for Trek. He just held the reigns for too long, MUCH too long.

Spocks Brain do you have to turn a positive story about a very cool Star Trek first into your personal moan and complain fest about the upcoming movie? Not once did you even hint at the positive that this means. Can’t you cananista and pine away in other threads at least?

This looks very good for the franchise! Luckily I live in Vegas and we have multiple IMAX screens!!! I am soooooooooooo excited!

It’ll be awesome on Imax!

i would prefer it would be “1-shat” instead of 3D.

IMAX would be fun on the second viewing. While incredible to watch, you tend to miss a lot of the subtle details simple due to where your eyes are focused.

Add to that the film was not made with IMAX in mind. While the effects shots would look great, the cast members would ‘not look as crisp’ on a regualr screen.

In any case, chalk me up for 2 viewings opening weekend.

I must be in the minority, but I do not like 3-D movies. I saw Bolt over the weekend in 3D, and it just makes my eyes hurt.

Lucky me. I live in Austin and we have a great Imax. I seen the Dark Knight here and it was fantastic. Now Star Trek In Imax. Well It will Take a Star Trek Film where no Star Trek Film has gone before. Im so tottaly Excited by this and ill be there on opening day at the Imax. This will Total Rock. As Far As Berman. Or should i say Verman. (Sorry Anthony i just had to say that) He just did not know how to do great Trek. He Did ok with First Contact but that was it. Tng Was great because it already had a great core that Roddenberry had put in place.

I just wet myself

#38- I’d agree with you!

He took on the impossible, made it work and had the option of a house or a swiss villa… we know the rest.
Back in the day, he was gold, but he turned over a decade into brie,
Should have given it to Abrams sooner.
Or maybe J Micheal Strasynski

I remember that 3-d movie being announced!
Man, has it been 11 years!

I was so excited! There was a time where ‘Trek signified hope, and another incarnation was a gift.

Colm Meany is brilliant by the way, as is David Warner.

I saw Nemesis in an IMAX theater, but I guess it wasn’t actually projected with an IMAX camera.

whoohoo i’d been waiting for this news i’ll defiantley be heading to my local Cinema in Manchester which has an IMAX to watch it :D

Anthony,

Hate to birst your bubble, but it isn’t likely to happen. I remember when a previous post of yours mentioned a few people who got on the set of Star Trek and thought they may of seen large format 70mm cameras on the set. So I contacted IMAX on this and IMAX told me there is NO plans for this film being shown in IMAX. And this was a month ago. Apparently the new Transformers 2 movie has shot 3 scenes in IMAX and that film is being shown right around the time (1 month later) that Star Trek will be in theaters. So NO IMAX will not show Star Trek in IMAX and take it out of theaters 1 month later to show Transformers 2.

See for more info:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055369/

http://www.in70mm.com/

See the rumour mill on the above site.

Ok I just read the link which mentioned the things I linked to myself. Maybe IMAX has changed its plans. I emailed them again to get further info.