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Netflix vs IMAX

icarus
(@icarus)
NarniaWeb Guru

So a week ago we had a news story about how Greta Gerwig was keen on a Theatrical Release for her Narnia films but Netflix were sticking to their guns on their "Streaming First" approach.

Now there is a story on Bloomberg (never quite sure how trustworthy they are as a news source) that Netflix are talking to IMAX about a potential release for Narnia in IMAX theatres.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-28/netflix-explores-releasing-narnia-film-in-imax-theaters

For some, this might just seem like a simple issue of distribution, and that it only affects where you see the film, however to me it feels like an issue that could fundamentally affect the entire look and feel of the films.

As many people will perhaps be aware, most straight-to-Netflix movies have a certain look. A look that many people consider to be cheap looking. There are many reasons why this is the case, but ultimately it comes down to the choice of cameras that Netflix insists on:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/why-does-everything-on-netflix-look-like-that/

https://nofilmschool.com/why-all-netflix-shows-look-same

IMAX however is a completely different beast. The picture quality is much higher, the aspect ratio is much squarer and the cameras themselves are much bigger.

If you compare and contrast a Christopher Nolan movie from before and after he started shooting his films in IMAX you can notice numerous changes to his cinematography style which result from the use of the bigger, and slightly less agile IMAX cameras.

https://nofilmschool.com/what-is-imax

I guess that's why I was so struck by this story on Bloomberg, because for me these two stories from the last week seem like polar opposite approaches for a filmmaker to choose between:

  • the quick and easy "low budget" digital shooting style that Netflix prefers.
  • The high quality film-based IMAX prints that the IMAX screening format requires

It will be very interesting to see which approach wins out, and whether it ends up having a significant impact on how the film is shot.

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Topic starter Posted : October 28, 2024 5:45 pm
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Col Klink
(@col-klink)
NarniaWeb Junkie

I don't think there are actually any IMAX theaters near where I live, so I'd prefer they not make the Narnia movies for that format for selfish reasons. Giggle  

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Posted : October 28, 2024 6:50 pm
Narnian78
(@narnian78)
NarniaWeb Guru

The picture size doesn’t make a huge difference to me, although seeing a Narnia movie in any theater would be an interesting experience which I haven’t had in a long time. In fact there is a new theater in the town near where I live which to my knowledge has never shown a Narnia film.  They usually don’t show old movies in theaters, but I would be willing to see the three Walden films again in one of the local theaters if they were ever shown there. It is an experience that even my television set cannot duplicate.

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Posted : October 29, 2024 2:46 am
Eustace
(@eustace)
NarniaWeb Junkie

I just learned that there is an IMAX about 4 to 5 hours away from me, so, I am all for IMAX, it will be an excuse to go to Branson. But, really even if there wasn't, I could use this as an excuse to visit my siblings who live in another state with close IMAX theaters around them, I definitely see this as a good thing. Plus, I have been been missing the times where my family during the holidays would get together and go to a movie, we haven't been out to a movie since the Hobbit movies, this would an excellent movie or movies to see as a family in theaters.

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Posted : October 29, 2024 9:15 am
Courtenay
(@courtenay)
NarniaWeb Fanatic Hospitality Committee

There's an IMAX cinema in Manchester, not far from where I live, so I'd have no problem whatsoever with Narnia films being shown there. Not least because I'm not a subscriber to Netflix (or any other streaming service) at present anyway! Wink

That said, it sounds like this is only a rumour so far and we're yet to see if there's anything factual in it. I would certainly want any new Narnia adaptations to look absolutely top quality, which it sounds like a lot of Netflix productions aren't noted for. On the other hand, sometimes movies that are made for the ultra large screen format suffer from the THIS IS AN EPIC syndrome — I mean, it tempts directors to put in a whole lot of huge dramatic scenes just for the sake of making the most of the format, even if it doesn't necessarily suit the tone of the story. I felt that way about the Walden version of LWW — that scenes like the Witch pursuing them over the ice (doesn't happen in the book), and the sweeping shots of Peter and Edmund's gigantic army, were in there mainly for the exciting visuals, all the while contradicting the much more gentle and understated tone of the original story. (I also felt the same way about the Jim Carrey version of A Christmas Carol — it was released in both 2D and 3D formats, and I saw it in 2D because that was the only version available where I lived, but while I enjoyed the film, I noticed several visually dramatic flying scenes and chase scenes and so on that I suspected were put in mainly because they'd look even more exciting in 3D.)

But again, we can only wait and see what happens. If Greta Gerwig's version of Narnia really does come to fruition at last, I'll watch it no matter what style or format it's done in, and then decide what I think! 

"Now you are a lioness," said Aslan. "And now all Narnia will be renewed."
(Prince Caspian)

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Posted : October 29, 2024 11:19 am
icarus
(@icarus)
NarniaWeb Guru
Posted by: @col-klink

I don't think there are actually any IMAX theaters near where I live, so I'd prefer they not make the Narnia movies for that format for selfish reasons. Giggle  

 

I guess my point is though, that regardless of.what screen you actually see the movie on for yourself, the intrinsic quality of the movie itself is markedly different between a shot-for-Netflix film and a shot-for-IMAX film.

A shot-for-Netflix movie like Red Notice or Extraction 2 is still going to look just as cheap and Netflixy if you view it on a theatre screen, and a shot-for-IMAX film like Top Gun 2 or Oppenheimer still looks absolutely amazing even when viewed on a regular TV.

It's not even just about picture quality and colour depth, but it's about the framing, shot selection, and almost every aspect of the cinematography - sure a lot of those little details are probably going to bypass most casual viewers on most films, but I think when you are dealing with the quintessential polar-opposites of the cinematography spectrum (Netflix compared to IMAX) I'd wager most people would probably be able to spot the difference.

Therefore I really hope there is some truth to this story, since it potentially gives Greta Gerwig the option of doing something really visually interesting with her Narnia movies, rather than being penned in by the Netflix aesthetic.

 

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Topic starter Posted : October 29, 2024 2:15 pm
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