IMAX is definitely a new trend. With more expensive tickets, it also offers an unparalleled viewing experience. Last year, “Oppenheimer” probably revolutionized the IMAX market with its strong statistics.
“Oppenheimer” grossed around $950M at the box office, and a strong 1/5th of that, around $180M, came from IMAX, which is a significant sign. Firstly, the number of IMAX screens is quite limited, making the experience both exclusive and in high demand.
Following “Oppenheimer’s” phenomenal success, big projects such as “Dune 2” and “Godzilla X Kong” followed the same path and observed visible results. Now, Superman is set to follow the IMAX route.
How viable is it?
As DC undergoes regeneration with Gunn and Safran, the Superman project is definitely hotly anticipated. Being a pioneer project for the new DC, global fans will be eagerly awaiting its release. However, taking the IMAX route comes with a basic problem.
While America is well-equipped with a solid number of IMAX screens, the same cannot be said for other parts of the world, especially in some Asian countries where IMAX screens are scarce or even non-existent.
But this won’t affect the overall viewing experience. The IMAX experience is an upgrade over traditional screens, but the latter won’t suffer for this. Audiences will always have the choice, and it won’t hamper the viewing experience in any way.
One last caution: Superman must be a box-office success. They need to crack the code, with $1B as the minimum benchmark. DC films have mostly underperformed at the box office, but for the new DC, it should be a success. A strong fan base should translate into good box-office results.