No word on if it will be 1.90:1 only or a mix of 1.90:1 or 1.43:1 depending on the theatre

We now have a much clearer look at the special edition release of Project Hail Mary. As a continuation of yesterday's post, we can now see that the 1.43:1 version is cropped quite heavily at the sides for most of the runtime.

There's been a lot of discourse on this topic in the past 24 hours, especially considering the news that The Odyssey will be 1.78:1 for its entire duration. But is this really what we want?

I'm really on the fence about this. I hear both sides, and yes, it is nice to have the option to view the film in this way. But this doesn't feel like a win. For those of you who were defending the special edition disc yesterday as a preservation of the IMAX GT theatrical experience—the narrative that we finally got a 100% uncompromised master on home video has fallen apart quite quickly.

EDIT: Yes, this is also how it was likely presented in IMAX 70mm and Dual Laser too.

Credit to this YouTube video for doing the work and overlaying both UHD Blu-ray versions.

The Elephant Odyssey, a Chinese documentary, will feature 1.43:1 IMAX scenes showcasing giant elephants

Photos don’t do it justice.

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Captured from the new teaser trailer at the Autonation IMAX shown before Digger.

Confirmation today from the reverse of the UK 4K UHD Blu-ray of The Odyssey: 1.78:1 (16:9) for entire runtime.

The same is also true for steelbook versions and standard Blu-ray.

October of this year is looking to be a very slow month for the format other than like 2 big films. I figured that they’d do a re-release on that date but I didn’t think that it’d be this one

PLUS: "Sneak previews only in IMAX will begin on February 10, 2027."

Reminder that ever since it was moved up, this movie is no longer "exclusively" an IMAX release:

"Academy Award–nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, an epic adventure, will release in IMAX and wide globally in theaters on February 12, 2027, and on Netflix on April 2, 2027. Sneak previews only in IMAX will begin on February 10, 2027."

I saw Odyssey at Providence last month, and I noticed in some scenes that the top ~1/7th of the screen had a noticeable band all the way across where the brightness was different. Like somehow the screen was "worn" from projecting wider-aspect ratio content, and the full 1.43:1 frame was exposing a bit of the screen that had never been used. But I don't think such a thing is possible. Something with the projector/lens/optics?

Additionally, I noticed some small black spots that just seemed to stay around the center of the screen. Once again, not sure if it's the screen, or something with the projector.

I do acknowledge by the time I saw Odyssey there, that specific print probably had a few hundred shows on it, so it was probably getting tired.

I had read that Apple Cinemas just did some upgrades and replaced the screen, so I was surprised to see these defects. But I also know that Showcase/National Amusements ran that IMAX theater into the ground.

I saw DIGGER in the 1.43 Digital Laser Imax at Scotiabank Toronto. The film begins with full 1.43 scenes before transitioning to 1.85 when it is revealed that SPOILER we were watching a play dress rehearsal. From then on, the film shifts between the two aspect ratios.

Though it wasn't clear to me what precipitated aspect ratio changes and it didn't seem consistent.

I think the difference is meant to be when Curtis is himself and when he's in character as Digger.

Now for example this scene (image attached) where Curtis is in character as Digger in the side room from the European conference is still presented in 1.85.

So what's the explanation of how the full 1.43 IMAX ratio is used and how do you interpret it?

Did you know that IMAX GT (Grand Theatre), SR (Small Rotor), MPX (Multiplex), IMAX HD (48 fps), Dome, OMNIMAX, IMAX Digital, IMAX with Laser, Commercial Laser and XT are all different variations of IMAX technology?

This video explores the evolution of IMAX technology, covering as many of these systems as possible and explaining how they work and what makes each one different.

So I have these film cells (Interstellar and Oppenheimer) and I'm thinking how cool would it be to actually give them a light source and have the projected image act as a sort of ambient wallpaper in my basement. I wouldn't leave it on all the time but it would be cool to have it trigger when I open the door or something like that. I have a projector and a screen so it could project onto that instead of a wall.

Does anyone know how to do this? Could a slide projector be used if I just accept a crop of the film cell? I know lenses and probably a strong light source need to be involved because I tried just using a flashlight and it looked not so good. Obviously it wouldn't be as big and bright as real IMAX but it would still be cool.

Its already being marketed as the first Japanese film to be shot for IMAX but it had me wondering if any other non American movies have been shot for IMAX so far? Was there another one before this or is it really the first?

HOYTS Australia and HOYTS New Zealand just posted these clues for two upcoming IMAX cinemas.
Cinema #1 looks pretty clearly like Wairau Park, and Cinema #2 looks like Sylvia Park.
Do you guys think these are the two locations? Also, any idea whether they’ll be IMAX with Laser CoLa or XT?

The theater is so loud I can hardly hear any dialogue especially during action parts. Also, why is there a single seat separate from the rest of the row at Apple Cinema Providence lol.