Star Wars The Force Awakens: IMAX Vs Standard Release

One bit of detail has been cleared up in the wake of the release of the first Star Wars The Force Awakens trailer. That detail is in the IMAX filming of this movie. Earlier this year it was suggested by Bad Robot productions that massive IMAX cameras would be utilized in the filming of Star Wars 7. Images provided by Disney today make clear what that'll mean for those of you heading to theaters in December of 2015: you're going to need to head to an IMAX theater to get the full experience.

The point is stuck on these two images sent to the press by Disney. They both show the Millennium Falcon and a pair of TIE-fighters battling it out on Tatooine, or at least in Tunisia in the desert, the same place A New Hope's version of Tatooine was captured. Notice the amount of Falcon you can see in the widescreen version vs the IMAX version.

Below you'll also see these images hosted at full size. The same size Disney is delivering it to the public as, that is to say.

Back on July 8th, 2014, Bad Robot called IMAX the #bestformatever in a Tweet. Now we're seeing what they're talking about.

Star Wars The Force Awakens will be filmed at least partially in IMAX format. It is not yet known HOW MUCH of this movie will be filmed with IMAX cameras, but we DO know that for those scenes at least, the only way you'll be able to see the whole image – the whole image captured by the IMAX camera, that is – will be to go to an IMAX theater.

Above you'll see the difference in the theater experience, while below you'll see the difference in standard film formats.

Disney and IMAX made clear that they'd be releasing a collection of films in the IMAX format over the next couple of years, including the following:

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 4)

• Maleficent (May 30)

• Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1)

• Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1, 2015)

• Brad Bird's Tomorrowland (May 22, 2015)

• Star Wars Episode VII (December 18, 2015)

Here you'll see the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy speaking extremely highly of the IMAX experience.

Now what do you think? Do you expect this format will finally break through PAST the theater, re-visiting a fuller-screen experience at home, as well?

Surely Disney wouldn't film Star Wars at this larger size, then cut off the top and bottom of the frame for its final print, would they?

Be sure to check the full Star Wars The Force Awakens trailer and our analysis of the trailer frame-by-frame, as well!