A new multi-picture agreement has been reached by 20th Century Fox and IMAX Corporation that will ensure Alita: Battle Angel, The Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Shane Black’s Predator reboot and an as-yet-untitled Marvel movie from Fox will all be released via the large-screen format over the coming years.
Extending their long-term partnership on the heels of Deadpool‘s massive success, Coming Soon notes that each release is set to be digitally remastered to suit the IMAX format upon entering the post-production process. It’ll be some time before that happens, of course, given all of the above are simmering on the fringes of development.
Following a long layoff due to injury, Dylan O’Brien will return to spearhead filming on The Maze Runner: The Death Cure come February, while Robert Rodriguez’s long-in-development Alita: Battle Angel will finally be summoned before the cameras next month. The jury’s still out on The Predator, but last we reported Benicio Del Toro was eyed for the lead.
Reflecting on today’s announcement, which can very much be seen as a means of future-proofing Fox’s slate to ensure the studio’s biggest releases can be enjoyed on the biggest format, the official IMAX statement reads as so:
“After sharing success with such recent box-office hits as the global phenomenon ‘Deadpool,’ we are thrilled to sweeten the existing deal with our friends and partners at Twentieth Century Fox by providing IMAX fans worldwide a selection of the studio’s most exciting upcoming blockbusters,” said Greg Foster, CEO of IMAX Entertainment and Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. “With this agreement, we look forward to expanding our partnership with Fox and together offer fans around the world IMAX’s one-of-a-kind movie-going experience.”
As things stand, Maze Runner: The Death Cure will be the first tentpole to make a beeline for the silver screen on January 12, 2018, before Shane Black’s redo of The Predator opens on February 9, 2018. Alita: Battle Angel, meanwhile, is currently booked in for July 20, 2018.