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IMAX has extended its brand beyond cinemas with an 'IMAX Enhanced' label now appearing on a growing number of titles on services like Disney+. Despite the name, this designation doesn't guarantee top-tier picture or audio quality, since streaming bitrates remain capped to avoid buffering, meaning 4K Blu-ray discs can still surpass IMAX Enhanced streams in fidelity.
The Traumpalast Leonberg cinema in Baden-Württemberg, Germany holds the Guinness World Record for largest movie screen by surface area, at 127 feet wide and 69 feet tall. But that title applies to IMAX's digital format, which uses a 1.90:1 aspect ratio and is criticized by purists as inferior to the taller, squarer 1.43:1 15/70mm film format that IMAX enthusiasts consider the true premium experience.
IMAX's signature camera noise stems from its 15/70 film format, which uses a 65mm negative running horizontally across 15 sprocket holes per frame instead of the standard five, producing images roughly three times larger than conventional film. At 24 frames per second, this means 360 sprocket holes—about 5.6 feet of film—pass through the camera every second, requiring a powerful motor and mechanical components that create audible rattling during shooting.
A folding dual-screen phone concept called the iPhone Duo has an aspect ratio nearly identical to IMAX 70mm's 1.43:1 format, the same shape used to film Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey.' Since only 41 theaters worldwide can show the film in its full IMAX ratio, most viewers saw up to 40% less image than intended, cropped at top and bottom in standard theaters.
Lucasfilm announced that the original 1977 Star Wars will debut on IMAX 70mm on February 19, 2027, marking its 50th anniversary, using a newly restored print of the unaltered original cut rather than the digitally remastered version. The upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter will follow on IMAX screens starting May 28, 2027, exactly 50 years after the franchise's first theatrical release.
Toho has released a full IMAX trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero, the sequel to Takashi Yamazaki's Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One. The trailer includes a distinctive roar suggesting the three-headed monster King Ghidorah will appear alongside Godzilla in the new film.
IMAX auditoriums use distinct 1.90:1 or 1.43:1 aspect ratios for digital and film projection, resulting in screens that are notably taller and squarer than standard cinemas, some reaching nearly 60 feet tall for 70mm showings. Filmmakers like Christopher Nolan note that shooting for IMAX means capturing more visual information and carefully planning framing so movies translate across different screen shapes, rather than simply blowing up existing footage.
Interest in true IMAX screenings has surged with Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, but not all theaters bearing the IMAX logo offer the same experience. Some venues feature massive 1.43:1 screens using 70mm film or dual-laser projection, while others are simply converted multiplex auditoriums with smaller, wider screens. This disparity has fueled the derisive nickname 'LieMAX' among moviegoers since 2009.
Despite IMAX existing since 1970, few films are shot using true IMAX cameras due to their massive size, weight, and noise. The cameras require expensive 65-70mm film that runs out quickly, forcing frequent stoppages that slow production and raise costs, as Tom Holland experienced on The Odyssey set. Even newer, quieter IMAX cameras like the one used on that film still weigh nearly 400 pounds, making them impractical for many scenes.