One of the times we saw the first Transformers with an audience was opening day at a movie theater in the downtown area of Brooklyn. The theater was on the sixth floor of the complex and was filled with kids and high teenagers who were thrilled to the get the companion Bumblebee comic book to look at before we saw if Michael Bay could pull off a movie based on a line of toys from the 80s (though it couldn’t be that hard, since in scene in the Tom Hanks movie BIG, toy executives essentially come up with the idea for Beast Wars on screen)
When Optimus Prime takes on Bonecrusher, the skating robot that takes on a bus, the guy sitting in front of Dave turned around and slapped him on the thigh, yelling “robot fight!” This elicited many cheers within the theater.
So, we pose the question, what about Revenge of the Fallen is going to be bigger and better…
And the answer is: giant robots fighting in IMAX.
Michael Bay will shoot 3 action sequences in IMAX for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, jumping on the IMAX bandwagon already hinted at by Jon Favreau, who would like to shoot some IMAX for Iron Man 2 and D.J. Caruso, who has talked about shooting some IMAX for Y: The Last Man.
Those high teenagers are going to have to be much higher before seeing Transformers in IMAX, but we’re pretty sure that would make Bay’s trademark large-scope action sequences absolutely dazzling if the visual effects department can keep the quality up.
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen bows in June 26, 2009.
Official Announcement from IMAX:
MAX Corporation, DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures today announced that director Michael Bay will shoot key sequences of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with IMAX® cameras. Bay will integrate the IMAX footage with state of the art CGI to create an unprecedented look and feel for the highly anticipated sequel to last year’s box office hit, Transformers. As previously announced, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will be released to IMAX® theatres simultaneously with the movie’s wide release on June 26, 2009.
The movie sequences shot in traditional 35mm will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The IMAX DMR scenes will appear in the traditional “letterbox” shape, while scenes shot with IMAX’s cameras will expand vertically to fill the entire IMAX screen.
“The extraordinary level of detail and intensity captured by the IMAX camera creates many exciting possibilities for us with this film,” said Michael Bay, the film’s director. “IMAX’s all-encompassing format will take this story to a new level, and I am once again very excited to share The IMAX Experience with Transformers fans around the world.”
“The addition of another amazing title from DreamWorks and Paramount, combined with more groundbreaking use of IMAX technology by Hollywood’s top filmmakers, are examples of how far we have come as a company and a distribution platform over the past several years,” said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. “The growth of the IMAX theatre network, fueled by the economical benefits of the new IMAX digital system, is driving interest from virtually all of the top studios, which is resulting in more IMAX movies for audiences to enjoy.”
“Michael Bay’s innovative use of IMAX cameras will create a spectacular cinematic adventure for moviegoers next summer,” added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We’re very excited to be integrated as a core part of the Transformers production, and with the skilled marketing and distribution teams at DreamWorks and Paramount, the timing is ideal given our expanding global audience and network footprint.”
The IMAX release of this movie was previously mentioned in IMAX Corporation’s second quarter results press release on August 7.
DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures Present In Association with Hasbro A di Bonaventura Pictures Production A Tom DeSanto/Don Murphy Production A Michael Bay Film “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas and John Turturro. The film is directed by Michael Bay from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger & Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman. The producers are Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce. The executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. Based on Hasbro’s Transformers(TM) Action Figures. This film has not yet been rated.
