Last updated on 31 August 2024.
Did you know, that the first Hollywood movie to use this format was a DC Comics movie? Let’s take a look at all DC movies which are released in IMAX format.
List of DC movies in IMAX
Many fans get confused when they check about which DC movies are shot in this immersive experience.
This is because most movies, even if they are shown in IMAX theatres, were not shot with their cameras. They were just digitally remastered like The Batman (2022).
So, here I give you the official list of DC movies that were released in IMAX and have the expanded aspect ratio (in the order of release dates):
01) The Dark Knight (2008)
Detail: 28-minute shot with IMAX 70mm cameras.
The Dark Knight is the first major Hollywood movie in history to use the IMAX format. Christopher Nolan shot about half an hour of the movie with 70mm film cameras.
He always wanted to use this format because of their amazing visual quality and even tested them for ‘The Batman Begins’ (2005). No one else in the industry used them before because they were heavy, costly, and noisy. But Nolan decided to take the challenge.
From Joker’s robbery scene to the batmobile chase scene, 6 major sequences were shot with the IMAX cameras and are available in a 1.43:1 aspect ratio. Some home release versions updated these scenes in a 1.78:1 ratio.
02) The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Detail: 72-minute shot with IMAX 70mm cameras.
Nolan again used the cameras for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and shot about one-third of the movie in this format. These include most action scenes where he wanted more height in the frame.
That’s why these sequences are expanded in the 1:43:1 aspect ratio, showing 26% more footage. And like the previous one, some home releases have a 1.78:1 ratio.
There was an incident on set also where Catwoman’s stunt double crashed into this film camera and destroyed it.
03) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Detail: 30-minute shot with IMAX 70mm cameras.
Zack Snyder also experimented with IMAX cameras by partially shooting his movie in this premium format, that too with film cameras like Nolan.
4 major sequences including the final battle, Batman v Superman fight, opening credits, and Knightmare scene were shot in an expanded ratio of 1.43:1 and 1.90:1 in digital projection.
In 2021, they even released the ‘Batman V Superman: Ultimate Edition’ of the movie with the expanded ratio on HBO MAX and digital release.
04) Aquaman (2018)
Detail: 92 minutes specially formatted in IMAX ratio.
The visually astonishing 2018’s Aquaman has about half of the movie in a 1.90:1 expanded ratio. Even the trailers featured the taller footage to showcase how amazing it would look.
However, note that this movie is not shot with a 70mm film camera or their newer digital camera.
The footage is just digitally remastered using the company’s DMR technology like many MCU movies which are released in IMAX.
05) Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Detail: 2 scenes were shot with 70mm film cameras.
Patty Jenkins joined an exclusive list of directors to use a 70mm IMAX camera for their movies. Two specific sequences: the young Diana scene at the beginning and the ending Christmas scene were shot with this camera.
Interestingly, the rest of the movie is also shot with film reel cameras since it was a period movie.
06) The Suicide Squad (2021)
Detail: Filmed entirely with IMAX-certified cameras.
‘The Suicide Squad’ is completely (100%) presented in an expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio. Director James Gunn shot the movie with Red Ranger Monstro cameras, which are certified under the ‘Filmed in IMAX’ program.
This new program helps to promote and include more high-quality cameras to use the brand. This RED camera is known for recording in 8K resolution.
Some people are also confused about The Flash (2023) on whether it was shot in IMAX or not. The answer is No. No extra footage was available exclusively for this format, just the aspect ratio was a little close.
07) Blue Beetle (2023)
Detail: Filmed partially with IMAX-certified cameras.
While it was a box-office flop but I find it a very good movie and introduction of a new hero. The movie was also shot with an Arri Alexa camera and the aspect ratio opened up to 1.90:1 for about 70 minutes.
08) Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
Detail: Filmed entirely with IMAX-certified cameras.
Aquaman 2 was the final goodbye to the DC Extended Universe. He also continued his IMAX approach by shooting it with Panavision Millennium DXL2 IMAX. With that, the aspect ratio was 1.78:1 for the whole movie.
Takeaways
So now you know about all the DC movies which are released in IMAX. Some of them are part of the DC extended universe.
And if you don’t know who I am? I am Ranish Chauhan a.k.a. Fulmino Fan, and I love Marvel & DC Superheroes and Sci-Fi movies. You can also check my YouTube channel for amazing videos in Hindi.