Wonder Woman 2 will film select scenes with IMAX cameras. It's a big change from the first Wonder Woman, none of which was specifically shot in the format. But it's also a step toward the future, starting when 2018's Avengers: Infinity War marks the first time IMAX cameras are used to shoot an entire tentpole.
Not much is known about Wonder Woman 2 at this point, but Kristen Wiig will be a new addition as the villainous Cheetah and Pedro Pascal is also aboard in a mystery role - possibly the male Cheetah. Director Patty Jenkins gets both a fresh cast and a visual upgrade with the addition of some IMAX scenes, as revealed by an IMAX executive in a recent earnings call with investors.
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As revealed in a transcript on Seeking Alpha, IMAX head of entertainment Greg Foster announced during the company's 2017 earnings call that "select sequences" of Wonder Woman 2 will be shot with IMAX film cameras. It follows in the footsteps of Justice League in that it'll be partially shot in an IMAX-friendly aspect ratio. But it's relatively new territory for the DC cinematic universe to shoot partially with IMAX cameras, which Zack Snyder did with Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. It's a comparable move to Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, which was shot mostly with IMAX equipment and in unconventional ways.
Foster also announced that select scenes of Sony's Venom were filmed in aspect ratios to fit IMAX theaters, and that Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong biopic First Man was shot partially with IMAX cameras. In addition, about 30 minutes of Disney's The Lion King remake will also use a similar approach. These announcements, along with Wonder Woman 2, are part of a move toward more 2D releases and less 3D, as detailed by Foster and CEO Richard Gelfond. It's also a significant development for IMAX in that a growing number of studio tentpoles are using what Foster calls the "IMAX DNA" as part of the viewing experience.
The prospect of Wonder Woman 2 being more IMAX-friendly than its predecessor bodes well for fans who prefer theaters in the amplified, supersized cinematic format. Nolan opened up all kinds of possibilities with the way he used IMAX to shoot a large portion of Dunkirk, and Infinity War has a chance to take the format to new heights. First Man also has big potential with Chazelle's space scenes in IMAX. Based on the direction movies are going in with IMAX cameras, Jenkins has a big opportunity ahead of her when Wonder Woman 2 starts filming to follow up Batman vs. Superman with a new kind of spectacle for DC cinema.
Of course, the real concern for Wonder Woman 2 is to tell another compelling story that's at least on par with the first movie. The visuals may not matter if the sequel can't achieve that. Justice League didn't captivate audiences like Wonder Woman did, despite shooting extensively in formats designed for IMAX. But the right talent is certainly in place for Wonder Woman 2 to find a good balance and deliver a worthy follow-up to the original.
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Source: Seeking Alpha
