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The early reactions to Ryan Coogler's Sinners are out, and people are raving about the director's bold and audacious vision. His genre-fluid film will trace a dark chapter in America's history through the lens of a gory slasher horror flick, so it's an ambitious project, to say the least. It may not be difficult for the 38-year-old filmmaker, who has received praise from industry icons like Denzel Washington and Christopher Nolan.
Sinners marks Coogler's departure from the Marvel studio. He has previously helmed two projects for their comic book universe. Both were critical and commercial triumphs, which must have helped him gain the trust of producers and exhibitors for Sinners. So, he could take a creative challenge only a few filmmakers have been able to in recent years: to shoot with an IMAX film stock on IMAX film cameras. During a recent premiere, Imax CEO Richard Gelfond shed light on the same.
According to reports by Variety, Coogler's Sinners has been shot on Imax film cameras, which draws upon its similarity with Nolan's blockbuster Oppenheimer as well as his upcoming movie Odyssey.
"I'm especially excited because this is the only IMAX film this year that was made on IMAX film cameras. The last one was Oppenheimer and the next one is [The] Odyssey]. So, Ryan is clearly in very good company"
Gelfond's comments reveal a unique relationship Coogler's film shares with Nolan's latest projects.
Sinners director Ryan Coogler joins Christopher Nolan in the select list of filmmakers shooting on IMAX
It's rare to see a movie shot in film stock these days, considering the relative affordability and ease of access to digital cameras. The new age of filmmakers, who have grown up with digitally shot footage, might be more inclined to shoot in that format. It also allows them a larger room for error since storing digital footage is not as laborious or expensive as working with film stock. However, there are a few reasons why some filmmakers still prefer the grainy, textural look of film.
While a digitally shot work may look more accurate, a film-based work offers the kind of charming depth and dynamic range that can be hard to emulate. So, filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Christopher Nolan still prefer to shoot in the film format. Nolan has taken his love for film format a step further by using IMAX film in his most recent works.
Nolan's Oscar-winning Oppenheimer was shot on a combination of IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large-format film with IMAX film cameras. It is a particularly expensive technology to work with. However, he has gained the trust of the company with solid box-office returns, with Oppenheimer being one of the highest-grossing films shot in IMAX. That's a rare feat for a three-hour-long, mostly conversational biopic about the "father of the atomic bomb" against tentpoles like Avengers and Avatar.
The same trust, built with the Black Panther movies and Creed, might have paved the way for Ryan Coogler to use IMAX film cameras to bring his vision to life. Sources say that Coogler has reportedly used a combination of IMAX 15-perf 70 mm and Ultra Panavision 70mm cameras for Sinners. So, the scenes will alternate between the 2.76:1 and 1.43:1 aspect ratios. Taking these creative risks on such a massive scale is a rarity these days. So, the fact that Sinners got made is a marvel in itself.
In an IMAX featurette, Coogler spoke about his experience of working with an IMAX film.
"It's the most immersive format. It just mimics the human eye. So, it puts you right there [in the moment]."
Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw further added,
"You do shoot stuff in IMAX and you fall in love. Seeing that tall of an image. It adds an emotional quality."
Sinners will hit the US theaters on April 18, 2025.
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Also read: What advice did Christopher Nolan give Ryan Coogler for Sinners?
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