Jordan Peele working with Imax to develop new film cameras

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In a March 17 announcement, Imax said it plans to create at least four new film cameras over the next two years, with help from legendary filmmakers like Jordan Peele.

Jordan Peele has come a long way since his 2017 directorial debut, “Get Out,” a film he also wrote. He’s come even further since the days of his comedy sketch show “Key & Peele” on Comedy Central. Proving that Black film directors can produce box office hits through his film company MonkeyPaw Productions, Oscar winner Jordan Peele has proven himself a mainstay in the industry.

Peele, along with acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight”, 2008) and others, have been tapped by Imax to help them design and expand their catalog of film cameras, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

“I thought it wasn’t gonna work. I thought no one would ever make this movie, but I kept coming back to it because I knew if someone let me make this movie, that people would hear it and people would see it,” Jordan Peele said on an historic night in 2018 when he became the first African American to win Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.

Jordan Peele working with Imax on the future of filmmaking

Now, he’s partnering with one of the largest film companies to help lead the industry into the future. In fact, he’s already started.

According to the Hollywood Reporter:

“The next release filmed with the current generation of Imax film cameras and Kodak 65mm film will be Peele’s Nope, scheduled for a July 22 debut, while Nolan’s Oppenheimer is currently shooting with Imax film cameras.”

In collaboration with film camera maker ARRI, the new Imax film cameras will be offered alongside Imax’s digital cameras. Imax film cameras use a 15 perf horizontal 65mm frame size and support Imax theaters capable of presenting in the 1.43:1 aspect ratio. 

With the enhancements, Imax looks to give filmmakers like Jordan Peele a quieter design and “usability enhancements,” along with upgrading their existing camera and lenses.

Imax is also teaming up with Kodak, Panavision and Fotokem. Kodak looks to manufacture the film stock, Panavision will provide camera services and Fotokem will assist with postproduction/lab services.

While Jordan Peele has already expanded the possibilities for Black filmmakers on screen, the new partnership with Imax shows he’s becoming an influential member of the industry behind the scenes, too.