The James Bond franchise is one of the longest running in history, but there are things even it has never done before. However, the new film, the 25th in the series, is breaking new ground by becoming the fist in the series to shoot scenes on IMAX cameras. Director Cary Fukunaga confirmed the use of the cameras designed for the large format screen via Instagram.
The comment from the director that "some days" are IMAX days confirms previous reports that only some of the new James Bond film will be shot on IMAX cameras, but that's par for the course for your average blockbuster these days. While IMAX cameras are getting used more and more, it's largely only for specific sequences that can take full advantage of the format.
If you're a fan of the IMAX format, or James Bond, and especially if you're a fan of both, this will likely be great news. Large format screens like IMAX take the normal theatrical experience and amplify it to an entirely new level. While many modern blockbuster movies can be, and are, formatted to an IMAX screen, using a camera designed for that screen makes the experience noticeably better.
While the IMAX cameras might be new for James Bond, they're not new for cinematographer Linus Sandgren. The man in charge of filming Bond 25 was also the man behind the camera of First Man, which used IMAX cameras to film the iconic moon walking scenes, which we can all agree were the best parts of that movie.
Of course, while we can now be sure that the action sequences will look amazing in the new James Bond movie, we still have no idea what any of them could be. The main cast of the new film, which will include Rami Malek as the villain, was recently confirmed, but that's nearly all we know.
The basic plot of Bond 25 will see James coming out of retirement to assist his old friend CIA agent Felix Lighter in a search for a missing scientist.
James Bond has been the home to some of the most memorable action sequences in the history of film. In the Daniel Craig era alone we have had fantastic foot chases, hand-to-hand fights, gun battles, and car chases. Each new film in the series has to try to take things to the next level and while it's not always easy, it's almost always worth watching.
I don't often go to IMAX movies but part of the reason for that is that it doesn't always seem all that necessary. However, when a movie uses IMAX cameras to shoot it usually means there's a vision for a particular sequence that requires them. If there's a reason to film in IMAX, then there's probably also a reason to view the finished product in IMAX.
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