Over the last few months, we’ve sent our camera crews over to IMAX’s main offices in Los Angeles and Toronto to talk about the science behind the premium format giant’s process. As part of a partnership with AMC Theatres, we’ve explored sound design, atmosphere, how to create total immersion and numerous other topics. A recurring theme of these conversations has been about how IMAX is a lot more than amplifying action-heavy moments, but since we’re talking about Gladiator II, it’s worth noting that, yes, IMAX does make the grandeur of ancient Rome seem that much more spectacular.
We heard that over and over again over the weekend when we hit up an AMC Theatre and asked some of the employees about Gladiator II and how it looks on the big screen. Everyone we talked to was universally stoked about the long-anticipated sequel, and they had really positive things to say about IMAX making the presentation that much better. You can check out some of their thoughts below…
There’s a lot I like about going to the movies, from the BunchACrunch to the comfy seats, but for me, the two best things are the shared experience of seeing it with others and how lost you can get in the story. Gladiator II, which opens in IMAX this weekend, should offer a perfect example of both. The story transports audiences to a historical and vibrant past, populated by some of the best set design we’ll see this year. It also features distinct and memorable characters and a story fans won’t have trouble investing in. All together, that should create the perfect conditions for everyone investing and riding the beats of the story together.
IMAX has done so much work over the last decade to become the go-to format for a wide variety of films, beyond just big budget event films. It’s put the work in alongside filmmakers to figure out how to make quieter moments more intimate and how to make dialogue sharper and more defined. It’s become more than the place for Hollywood’s action-oriented Blockbusters, which is precisely why Gladiator II is the perfect movie to show that off. It’ll play all the sword-clanging, bone-crunching hits, but it’ll also combine those with the type of human moments of connection you expect from Ridley Scott movies.
You can check out Gladiator II when it opens this weekend, and there’s no better place to do that than in an AMC Theatre in IMAX.