IMAX, Dolphin Entertainment Announce Deal To Finance, Produce Documentary Feature Slate — Cannes

Matthew Carey
·2 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: In a deal announced today in Cannes, IMAX Corporation and Dolphin Entertainment signed a multi-year agreement to co-finance development and production of a slate of feature-length documentaries for global release.

The first film under the partnership will be The Blue Angels, the recently-announced documentary from Bad Robot Productions and Zipper Bros Films that follows the endeavors of the U.S. military’s famed aerial demonstration squadron. The project is currently being shot with “state of the art IMAX cameras,” according to a joint announcement from IMAX and Dolphin Entertainment. It’s expected to hit IMAX screens next year.

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The film, directed by Paul Crowder, centers on the latest class of pilots entering the Blue Angels program, as well as “sharing the emotional stories of the veterans on the team who, this year, will take their final flights. It will mark the first time the iconic blue and yellow F/A-18 Super Hornets will be featured in IMAX.”

An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, part of the Blue Angels fleet - Credit: Blue Angels/IMAX/Dolphin Entertainment
An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, part of the Blue Angels fleet - Credit: Blue Angels/IMAX/Dolphin Entertainment

Blue Angels/IMAX/Dolphin Entertainment

The Blue Angels promises to “provide a truly unique view of these incredible pilots as, for the first time ever, audiences will be able to go inside the formation, inside the cockpit, and inside the helmet for a visceral, adrenaline rush, ride of a lifetime.”

“The Blue Angels is a perfect first project between our two companies,” noted John Turner, head of documentaries at IMAX. “Bill [O’Dowd] and the Dolphin team will be indispensable partners in not only getting projects made, but in ensuring they are seen and heard around the world.”

O’Dowd, CEO of Dolphin Entertainment, said, “IMAX is simply best-in-class when it comes to the movie-going experience. And certain stories, like The Blue Angels, can only be enjoyed to their fullest potential if seen in the IMAX Experience. We are tremendously excited by this partnership with John and his team, as we work together to build a slate of unforgettable documentaries that need to be seen on the big screen!”

Producers of The Blue Angels include J.J. Abrams of Bad Robot, Glen Zipper of Zipper Bros Films, Hannah Minghella, Mark Monroe, Sean Stuart, and Glen Powell (Powell, who co-stars in Top Gun: Maverick, was on the red carpet in Cannes Wednesday for the world premiere of the Tom Cruise film). Executive producers of The Blue Angels are Rob Stone and Greg Wooldridge.

IMAX operates in 87 countries and territories, with more than 1,680 IMAX theater systems worldwide. Dolphin Entertainment is a leading independent entertainment marketing and production company with subsidiaries that include 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, Viewpoint Creative, and B/HI (a division of 42West).

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