“Project Hail Mary” directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller just broke down the various theater formats their film can be watched in — while experiencing each one themselves.
In a 7-minute clip promotional clip shared on Thursday, the pair took viewers on a trip visiting all their favorite theaters in Los Angeles to show audiences the different formats they can experience starting March 20.
“We’re in a ride!” Miller exclaimed while getting bumped around in his seat during a 4DX viewing.
“And I’ve never had this experience before and I love it,” Lord then shared.
As they noted in the video, there are 12 different ways to watch the movie, which include Imax 1:43, Dolby Cinema, Imax 1:85, Screenx, HDR by Barco, D-Box, 4DX, MX4D, Imax 70mm, 5 perf 70mm, premium large format and standard.
Miller and Lord went through each format and explained what they bring to the table for those watching in theaters. Their first stop was visiting the Imax headquarters in Playa Vista.
“This is the format that we designed the movie for,” Lord explained. “This is what we were looking at on set. We shot in Alexa 65, but we had the really big censor which is a digital format”
“The film was shot for large format in the 1:43 aspect ratio for Imax,” Miller added. “There’s three different versions of the movie in Imax. One of them we’re super excited about is the 70 mm, 15 perf Imax version … Our cinematagrapher Greig Fraser used a film out process that he used on the ‘Batman’ and ‘Dune’ movies to take the digital footage and put it through film stock so that the film would have the warmth that only film can give you.”
“‘Project Hail Mary’ is this collision of scale and sound and intimacy,” Lord added. “There’s no better way to experience that than in an Imax theater.”
Next up was D-Box, an experience Lord was more than “excited” for. “The seats rumble, they move around. They accentuate what’s happening on the screen. The technicians synchronize the movements from the movie to the chair, so it’s a totally immersive experience,” Miller said. “It’s happening right now!”
They closed their journey out by highlighting the beauty of a good ol’ standard movie theater anyone can find in their local town. For them, it’s Beverly Cinema.
“I love this place; it’s independent. It’s the place where we saw a bunch of movies for the first time, where we learned so much about movies,” Lord shared. “You’ve seen all those other formats. Truth of the matter is, there’s a magical thing that happens when you see a movie with a big group of people, whether they’re people that you know or it’s a big group of strangers, you are reminded that we all laugh at the same things.”
“We all cry at the same things, no matter where we’re from. That’s a really important experience, I think, for people to share,” he continued. “It’s one of the reasons I love going to the movies.”
Miller concluded: “So whether you’re seeing it in a massive format like we had designed it or whether you’re seeing it at your local cinema, whatever you can afford, go see it with a bunch of people and experience it together.”
