Avengers: Endgame being the first movies to be filmed entirely with IMAX digital cameras. Now, the Disney+ streaming service allows its customers to experience the IMAX ratio at home, with 13 MCU features now available to view via an IMAX Enhanced version.
One of the films to receive this treatment is Derrickson’s Doctor Strange, which was praised upon its 2016 release for its stunning and often mind-bending visuals that evoked the psychedelic comics the character originated from. The film, like many others in the MCU, had select IMAX sequences to enhance these visuals, mostly focused around magic, the mirror dimension, and time travel. Fans who missed these sequences during its theatrical run are now able to experience them from the comfort of their own home, though this may not be as ideal as it seems.
Derrickson recently took to Twitter to comment on the new feature, expressing that the sequences he shot in IMAX weren’t intended to be seen on home media. The filmmaker published a series of tweets detailing how only specific sequences were selected to be shot and screened in the 1.9 IMAX aspect ratio while the film as a whole was shot with a consistent 2.39 aspect ratio in mind. His major point seems to be that the IMAX theatrical experience “envelopes’ the audience and ostensibly allows the borders of the much larger frame to “disappear” amongst the audience’s total immersion. In contrast, Derrickson posits that home viewing inevitably leaves the viewer fully aware of the border surrounding the film and implies the IMAX ratio is ineffective with this in mind. For a full breakdown of his comments, check out his tweets below.
Derrickson cleared up his stance, saying that he did not disapprove of Disney’s decision to make the IMAX version of the film available and that he had no issue with people choosing to watch it that way. Indeed, the new IMAX Enhanced mode is very much optional, with viewers able to easily switch between the theatrical and IMAX experiences via a tab on the film’s home page. When starting any of the films in question, however, the IMAX Enhanced version is automatically selected so it is clear that Disney has a preference of how they would like their audience to stream their movies going forward.
This isn’t the first time Derrickson and Marvel have had disagreements as he walked away from directing Justice League but also permitted him to use his tailored 4:3 aspect ratio when it debuted on the HBO Max streaming service. Whether the IMAX ratio was intended for home release or not, there is at least a sense of completion that Doctor Strange is now readily available to audiences in whatever version they choose to experience.
Source: Scott Derrickson
