It is unclear if it is in response to the much-awaited Dunesday clash or just Disney diversifying into the exhibition side of cinema, but the movie giant is now partnering with theatre chains to bring a new large-format screen certification. Infinity Vision, a giant screen format, is being seen as a rival to IMAX and will roll out in time for the release of Avengers: Doomsday in December.
Disney launches Infinity Vision
Bloomberg quoted people familiar with the matter saying that to qualify for the new Infinity Vision label, auditoriums will need a screen width of at least 50 feet, laser projection, and the 7.1 surround-sound system from Dolby Laboratories Inc. The report stated that around 5,500 screens globally would meet the standards for the new label. This is about thrice the number of existing IMAX venues worldwide.
IMAX is globally recognised as the gold standard of premium large-screen formats. Studios regularly set release dates based on how many IMAX screens are available to present their films.
Last year, several theatre chains held meetings about the possibility of establishing an industry-wide certification for their premium screens. So far, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc.’s XL, Regal Cineworld Group’s RPX and Cinemark Holdings Inc.’s XD are all marketed separately. Bloomberg’s report says Disney is in talks with multiple chains, but hasn’t disclosed how many chains it’s signed up so far. Theatre operators would still be able to offer their own big-screen brands alongside the Infinity Vision certification.
A timeline for its rollout has not been announced, but industry insiders estimate that it could be as early as September, when Avengers: Endgame, Disney’s highest-grossing film ever, re-releases in theatres.
How Dunesday clash led to Infinity Vision
The founding of Infinity Vision is in part the result of Disney’s tentpole Marvel superhero film, Avengers: Doomsday, not having exclusive access to IMAX screens when it opens the weekend of 18 December. The film is clashing with Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, backed by Warner Bros., and IMAX has an agreement in place to screen that film. The lack of IMAX access for its biggest film is a financial and prestige loss for Disney. Disney contributes more to IMAX’s revenue than any other Hollywood distributor.
Avengers: Doomsday marks the return of the Russo Brothers to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as directors. The film also brings back Robert Downey Jr., who no longer plays Iron Man but instead plays the antagonist Doctor Doom. Dune Part Three, on the other hand, is the conclusion of Villeneuve’s trilogy of Frank Herbert’s saga, starring Timothee Chalamet in the lead role.