Some of Hollywood’s greatest directors put in a lot of work to produce films fit for IMAX, though cinephiles should also be aware of other people who’ve helped make the format what it is today. David Keighley – IMAX’s longtime chief quality officer – was such a person, and he sadly passed away recently at the age of 77. Keighley deserves much of our thanks for his contributions to cinema, and he’s now being honored fittingly. That’s because Christopher Nolan, James Cameron and others are paying tribute to Keighley.
Christopher Nolan has been a true champion of the IMAX format, as he’s utilized it for many of his films, from The Dark Knight and Interstellar to Dunkirk and Oppenheimer. With that, Nolan’s films were overseen by David Keighley and as noted by THR, Keighley was evaluating dailies of Nolan’s latest flick, The Odyssey, shortly before his death. Keighley’s son, media pundit Geoff Keighley, shared Nolan’s tribute and those from others on Instagram, and the British director had nothing but praise for his “friend” and “mentor”:
His keen eye and uncompromising standards meant that audiences were treated to the best possible experience of our films - a massive part of their impact. When, a decade ago, photochemical film faced an existential threat, David brought it to our attention, just in time to rally filmmakers and studios and ensure continued production. No filmmaker would be able to shoot or screen film of any format today if not for David Keighley - our entire industry owes him a massive debt.
James Cameron also had the opportunity to work with the late Keighley over the course of his career. In his own message Cameron – whose next feature is the IMAX-filmed Avatar: Fire and Ash – affectionately recalled working with Keighley on various cinematic endeavors:
I remember so vividly working closely with David on many projects, starting over 25 years ago when I started exploring digital 3D for IMAX. He was a strong ally and a true believer in creating the ultimate cinema experience for audiences around the world. He will be deeply missed.
David Keighley died due to neuroendocrine prostate cancer, as Geoff explained. Amid his over-50-year career, David – along with his wife, Patricia – was instrumental in helping to readjust some of Hollywood’s biggest movies for the format he passionately championed. As Christopher Nolan mentioned, the last completed movie David worked on was Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed vampire epic, Sinners. Coogler was reflected on meeting and getting to know the late executive, fondly recalling their chats and tours of IMAX headquarters:
I'll miss our talks about the science of film exposure as well as hearing his stories about falling in love with the format as a young man in Canada. I'll miss his tours. And will miss hearing his callouts in our quality control reviews. Anyone who's ever had their mind blown by the images in an IMAX theatrical presentation has David to thank for it. It's on us now, both filmmakers and film goers, to keep the format alive and pushing forward as he intended.
Francis Ford Coppola recalled working with Keighley as well, not only expressing his condolences but calling his death “a major loss for cinema” as well. Another auteur, Denis Villeneuve offered praise for Keighley as well. Villeneuve – who’s currently in production on another film set for IMAX, Dune: Part Three – had this to say:
Some people are irreplaceable. David Keighley is one of them. Cinema is mourning one of its most brilliant technical masters. My sincere condolences to his family.
Thanks to Keighley’s efforts, moviegoers around the world have been able to enjoy massive films in IMAX theaters. I’ve personally seen more than my fair share of flicks in the format and am planning to see a few more films that way before the 2025 movie schedule wraps up. The cinema-loving public owes Keighley a great deal of gratitude for what he accomplished, and it’s wonderful that some of the industry’s biggest directors are honoring him. We here at CinemaBlend extend our condolences to the Keighley family at this time.
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