15/70 — The Archive

2008

The Dark Knight

2008

Dir Christopher Nolan

DP Wally Pfister, ASC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First mainstream narrative feature film to use IMAX 15/70mm cameras

Pioneered the variable aspect ratio approach (switching between 2.39:1 and 1.43:1)

Notable IMAX Scenes

Opening bank heist (prologue)
Bat-pod chase through Lower Wacker Drive
Hong Kong extraction sequence
Harvey Dent hospital explosion
Climactic ferry sequence

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219

Non-IMAX Format

35mm anamorphic (2.39:1)

Notes

Wally Pfister initially resisted the large, noisy IMAX cameras but was won over by the image quality

The opening bank robbery was screened as a 6-minute IMAX prologue before I Am Legend in December 2007

Academy Awards

Best Cinematography (nominated)

2009

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009

Dir Michael Bay

DP Ben Seresin, BSC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

Notable IMAX Scenes

Egypt desert battle sequence
Forest fight sequence

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3

Non-IMAX Format

35mm / Super 35 (2.39:1)

Notes

Michael Bay was the second director to incorporate IMAX 15/70mm cameras into a mainstream feature film after Nolan

2011

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

2011

Dir Brad Bird

DP Robert Elswit, ASC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First Mission: Impossible film to use IMAX cameras

Tom Cruise personally climbed the Burj Khalifa with the IMAX camera mounted on the building

Notable IMAX Scenes

Burj Khalifa climbing sequence (entire extended sequence)
Sandstorm car chase in Dubai

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219

Non-IMAX Format

35mm anamorphic (2.39:1)

Notes

The Burj Khalifa sequence is widely considered one of the most spectacular uses of IMAX cameras in cinema history

A 6-minute IMAX prologue was released before the film

2012

The Dark Knight Rises

2012

Dir Christopher Nolan

DP Wally Pfister, ASC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

Set a new record for IMAX footage in a narrative film at the time (72 minutes)

Over 40% of the film was captured in IMAX — an unprecedented ratio for 2012

Notable IMAX Scenes

Opening plane hijack sequence
Football stadium destruction
Bat flying over Manhattan/Gotham
Climactic battle on Wall Street
Nuclear bomb over the bay

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, Kodak Vision3 250D 5207

Non-IMAX Format

35mm anamorphic (2.39:1)

Notes

The opening plane hijack was the first scene shot for the film

Served as a 6-minute IMAX prologue screened before MI: Ghost Protocol

2013

Star Trek Into Darkness

2013

Dir J.J. Abrams

DP Daniel Mindel, ASC, BSC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First Star Trek film to use IMAX 15/70mm cameras

Notable IMAX Scenes

Nibiru planet opening sequence
Klingon homeworld battle
USS Vengeance chase

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219

Non-IMAX Format

35mm anamorphic (2.39:1)

Notes

Abrams used IMAX for key set pieces while maintaining the anamorphic look (including his signature lens flares) for the rest of the film

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

2013

Dir Francis Lawrence

DP Jo Willems

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First film to use IMAX cameras for such a large portion of a single narrative sequence (~50 minutes)

Notable IMAX Scenes

The entire Arena sequence (Quarter Quell games)

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3

Non-IMAX Format

35mm (2.39:1)

Notes

Nearly the entire second half of the film, covering the 75th Hunger Games arena, was captured in IMAX 15/70mm

2014

Interstellar

2014

Dir Christopher Nolan

DP Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802, IMAX MKIII

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First Nolan film to use 65mm alongside IMAX (establishing his dual-format signature)

First time an IMAX camera was mounted inside a Lear Jet cockpit for aerial footage

Notable IMAX Scenes

Wormhole traversal
Miller's planet (tidal wave sequence)
Docking sequence ("It's not possible" scene)
Inside the Tesseract
Launch sequence
Cornfield drone chase

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, Kodak Vision3 250D 5207

Non-IMAX Format

65mm 5-perf (2.20:1)

Notes

Nolan chose Hoyte van Hoytema (replacing Wally Pfister who moved to directing) for his ability to work with IMAX cameras in tight spacecraft sets

Non-IMAX footage was shot on 65mm 5-perf for maximum quality throughout

Academy Awards

Best Cinematography (nominated)

2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

2015

Dir J.J. Abrams

DP Daniel Mindel, ASC, BSC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First Star Wars film to use IMAX 15/70mm cameras

Notable IMAX Scenes

Millennium Falcon chase through the Star Destroyer wreckage on Jakku

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219

Non-IMAX Format

35mm anamorphic (2.39:1)

Notes

Only a single sequence was captured in IMAX, but it represents one of the most iconic moments in the Star Wars sequel trilogy

2016

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

2016

Dir Zack Snyder

DP Larry Fong, ASC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First DC Extended Universe film to use IMAX 15/70mm cameras

Notable IMAX Scenes

Opening credits / Wayne parents murder in Crime Alley
Knightmare dream sequence
Batman vs Superman fight
Final battle against Doomsday

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219

Non-IMAX Format

35mm anamorphic (2.39:1)

Notes

Larry Fong extensively tested the IMAX cameras for this production

Four distinct sequences across the film were shot in IMAX format

2017

Dunkirk

2017

Dir Christopher Nolan

DP Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802, IMAX MKIV

Majority IMAX 1.43:1

Highest percentage of IMAX footage in any narrative film at the time (~75%)

IMAX cameras were mounted on the nose, wing, and cockpit of actual Spitfire aircraft

First time an IMAX camera was used on the open ocean on a small boat

Notable IMAX Scenes

Beach evacuation scenes
Spitfire dogfights (all aerial sequences)
Torpedo attack on the minesweeper
Sinking ship sequences
Final beach sequences

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, Kodak Vision3 250D 5207

Non-IMAX Format

65mm 5-perf (2.20:1)

Notes

~75% shot on IMAX 15/70mm, remaining 25% on 65mm 5-perf

IMAX cameras were waterproofed for ocean sequences and custom-rigged to Spitfire fighter planes

Camera noise remained a challenge during dialogue scenes, requiring creative workarounds

Academy Awards

Best Cinematography (nominated)
Best Picture (nominated)

2018

First Man

2018

Dir Damien Chazelle

DP Linus Sandgren, ASC, FSF

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

Used three different film formats in one film: Super 16mm → 35mm → IMAX 15/70mm to create a progressive visual expansion

Rehoused Hasselblad/Zeiss lenses to match the actual NASA mission cameras

Notable IMAX Scenes

Moon landing and lunar surface exploration (entire sequence)

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219

Non-IMAX Format

Super 16mm (2.39:1) + 35mm (1.85:1)

Notes

Format deliberately escalates through the film: cramped Super 16mm for domestic scenes → 35mm for NASA interiors → IMAX for the moon landing

Visual crescendo mirrors Armstrong's journey from Earth to the lunar surface

Lunar scenes shot at night in an Atlanta quarry with custom 200K lights simulating the sun

Academy Awards

Best Cinematography (nominated)

2020

Tenet

2020

Dir Christopher Nolan

DP Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC

Camera IMAX MKIII, IMAX MKIV, IMAX MSM 9802

Majority IMAX 1.43:1

Approximately 1.5 million feet of IMAX film shot during production

~50% of the film presented in IMAX 1.43:1 ratio

Notable IMAX Scenes

Opera siege opening
747 crash into Freeport
Highway car chase (forwards and inverted)
Stalsk-12 battle (temporal pincer)
Catamaran finale

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, Kodak Vision3 250D 5207

Non-IMAX Format

65mm 5-perf (2.20:1)

Notes

Shot across 7 countries: Denmark, Estonia, India, Italy, Norway, UK, US

Nolan crashed an actual Boeing 747 into a building for the Freeport sequence, captured entirely on IMAX

Complex temporal mechanics required shooting many scenes both forwards and backwards

2021

No Time to Die

2021

Dir Cary Joji Fukunaga

DP Linus Sandgren, ASC, FSF

Camera IMAX MSM 9802

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First James Bond film to use IMAX 15/70mm cameras

Notable IMAX Scenes

Norway pre-title sequence (frozen lake chase)
Matera, Italy chase and shootout
Cuba nightclub sequence
Jamaica sequences

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, Kodak Vision3 250D 5207

Non-IMAX Format

35mm anamorphic (2.39:1) + 65mm 5-perf

Notes

IMAX used for the most expansive action sequences; 65mm for intimate scenes where camera noise would be problematic

~30 minutes at 1.43:1 IMAX, ~10 minutes at 1.90:1 (65mm)

2022

Nope

2022

Dir Jordan Peele

DP Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802, Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First R-rated horror film in history to be shot with IMAX 15/70mm film cameras

Pioneered a hybrid day-for-night technique: ARRI Alexa 65 (infrared) + Panavision 65mm (color) shot simultaneously on a stereo rig, then composited

Panavision's Dan Sasaki custom-built lenses for both IMAX and Panavision cameras to allow closer focus on actors

Notable IMAX Scenes

Sky spectacle sequences
UFO encounter scenes
Climactic "impossible shot" sequence
Jupiter's Claim theme park sequences

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, Kodak Vision3 250D 5207

Non-IMAX Format

65mm 5-perf (Panavision System 65)

Notes

Day-for-night technique: modified ARRI Alexa 65 (infrared) + Panavision 65mm (color/texture), mounted on decommissioned 3D-stereo rigs for identical framing

Two image streams merged in post-production

Despite being shot on IMAX film, no 15/70mm prints were struck — shown digitally only

2023

Oppenheimer

2023

Dir Christopher Nolan

DP Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC

Camera IMAX MSM 9802, IMAX MKIII, IMAX MKIV, Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio

Majority IMAX 1.43:1

First film in history to use IMAX black-and-white photographic film

Kodak custom-manufactured Eastman Double-X 5222 in 65mm format specifically for this production — a stock that had never existed before

The B&W IMAX sequences (Strauss timeline) required reconfiguring IMAX camera mechanics for the new film stock

Panavision created custom probe lenses for macro/microphotography with IMAX cameras

Notable IMAX Scenes

Trinity test sequence
Los Alamos laboratory scenes
Oppenheimer's quantum visions
Security hearing scenes (color/present timeline)
UN speech aftermath

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, Kodak Vision3 250D 5207, Kodak Eastman Double-X 5222 (custom 65mm B&W)

Non-IMAX Format

65mm 5-perf (2.20:1)

Notes

Color IMAX = Oppenheimer's subjective experience; B&W IMAX/65mm = Strauss hearing (objective perspective)

Van Hoytema worked with Kodak for months to develop the B&W IMAX stock, which Kodak initially said might be impossible

Over 11 miles (17.7 km) of film used during production

Academy Awards

Best Cinematography (won)
Best Picture (won)
Best Director (won)

2025

Sinners

2025

Dir Ryan Coogler

DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Camera IMAX MSM 9802, Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio

Partial IMAX 1.43:1

First female director of photography to shoot with large-format IMAX film cameras

First film to combine IMAX 15/70mm (1.43:1) and Ultra Panavision 70 (2.76:1) — the tallest and widest aspect ratios in cinema history — in the same film

Kodak custom-manufactured Ektachrome 100D reversal stock in 65mm format for the flashback sequences

Notable IMAX Scenes

Opening sequence
Dance montage
Juke joint long tracking shot
Final fight sequence

Film Stock

Kodak Vision3, Kodak Ektachrome 100D 5294 (custom 65mm version for flashbacks)

Non-IMAX Format

Ultra Panavision 70 (2.76:1)

Notes

Majority of the film uses Ultra Panavision 70 (2.76:1); ~28 minutes of select sequences presented in IMAX 1.43:1

Arkapaw consulted with Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema before the shoot

1.43:1 ↔ 2.76:1 contrast creates a visceral visual shift at key dramatic moments

Released with limited IMAX 70mm prints

2026

The Odyssey

2026 Coming Soon July 17, 2026

Dir Christopher Nolan

DP Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC

Camera IMAX Keighley

100% IMAX 15/70 1.43:1

First theatrical feature film shot entirely with IMAX 15/70mm film cameras

First film to use the new IMAX 'Keighley' camera — smaller, lighter, and significantly quieter than previous models

95% of opening weekend IMAX 70mm tickets sold out within one hour across 26 theaters worldwide

Notable IMAX Scenes

Entire film

Film Stock

TBC

Notes

'Keighley' camera named after David Keighley, IMAX's late chief quality officer who oversaw 500+ films across five decades

Reduced noise finally allows an entire feature to be shot on IMAX film — previously impossible during dialogue

A ~6-minute IMAX prologue is currently screening in theaters

Cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron