Doctor Strange Director Never Intended IMAX Version for Home Viewing

Doctor Strange Director Never Intended IMAX Version for Home Viewing

Doctor Strange director, Scott Derrickson, comments that the IMAX versions of MCU films now available on Disney+ were never meant for home media.

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Doctor Strange director, Scott Derrickson, reacted to the recent IMAX Enhanced feature on Disney+, claiming he never intended for that aspect ratio to be used for home release. Marvel Studios and IMAX have had a lengthy partnership which has led to most instalments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe featuring select sequences filmed in the IMAX 1.9 ratio. This led to a landmark moment in IMAX technology, with Avengers: Infinity War and 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.

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Apparently @disneyplus has elected to stream at least some Marvel movies (including Doctor Strange) in the 1.9 IMAX aspect ratio instead of 2:39. I can only speak for myself, but I never intended that aspect ratio to be used for home viewing.

I selected specific scenes for 1.9 in IMAX and framed those scenes for BOTH 1.9 and 2.39 — that is what @disneyplus is using, so it toggles aspect ratios during the film. But I never imagined that the 1.9 IMAX version for steaming. https://t.co/zlvej4aTqM

This is important — apparently @disneyplus provides the 1.9 as an option, and I’ve also been told that option exists on the Blue-ray. This certainly makes this less problematic, but I still maintain that I never intended anyone to see the 1.9 version on tv. https://t.co/D5X4t2vCsx

IMAX envelopes you, puts you inside the frame wherever you sit. Maximum visceral experience. Theatrical, sit close and you’re “inside the frame,” or back enough to appreciate the framed composition. At home you are inevitably observing the frame. I didn’t intend that with IMAX. https://t.co/CibdEA5Xnw

To be clear I didn’t express disapproval, nor am I bothered that @disneyplus gives viewer the option to view the 1.9 aspect ratio. I only said I didn’t intend the 1.9 for home viewing. If people want to watch it that way that’s up to them. https://t.co/X6BMLddyOB

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.

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This isn’t the first time Derrickson and Marvel have had disagreements as he walked away from directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness citing creative differences, with fellow horror director Sam Raimi taking over. This appears to vindicate a viewpoint many film fans have with Marvel Studios, claiming that their overall management stifles the creative vision of the filmmakers. This is in contrast to their main competitor, DC, who not only allowed Zack Snyder to finish his 4-hour cut of 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.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/doctor-strange-imax-version-scott-derrickson-opinion/

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