A few of Hollywood’s biggest administrators put in a variety of work to supply movies match for IMAX, although cinephiles also needs to concentrate on different individuals who’ve helped make the format what it’s in the present day. David Keighley – IMAX’s longtime chief high quality officer – was such an individual, and he sadly handed away not too long ago on the age of 77. Keighley deserves a lot of our thanks for his contributions to cinema, and he’s now being honored fittingly. That’s as a result of Christopher Nolan, James Cameron and others are paying tribute to Keighley.
Christopher Nolan has been a real champion of the IMAX format, as he’s utilized it for a lot of of his movies, from The Darkish Knight and Interstellar to Dunkirk and Oppenheimer. With that, Nolan’s movies have been overseen by David Keighley and as famous by THR, Keighley was evaluating dailies of Nolan’s newest flick, The Odyssey, shortly earlier than his dying. Keighley’s son, media pundit Geoff Keighley, shared Nolan’s tribute and people from others on Instagram, and the British director had nothing however reward for his “good friend” and “mentor”:
His eager eye and uncompromising requirements meant that audiences have been handled to the very best expertise of our movies – a large a part of their impression. When, a decade in the past, photochemical movie confronted an existential risk, David introduced it to our consideration, simply in time to rally filmmakers and studios and guarantee continued manufacturing. No filmmaker would be capable of shoot or display screen movie of any format in the present day if not for David Keighley – our whole trade owes him a large debt.
James Cameron additionally had the chance to work with the late Keighley over the course of his profession. In his personal message Cameron – whose subsequent function is the IMAX-filmed Avatar: Hearth and Ash – affectionately recalled working with Keighley on numerous cinematic endeavors:
I bear in mind so vividly working intently with David on many initiatives, beginning over 25 years in the past once I began exploring digital 3D for IMAX. He was a robust ally and a real believer in creating the final word cinema expertise for audiences world wide. He will likely be deeply missed.
David Keighley died because of neuroendocrine prostate most cancers, as Geoff defined. Amid his over-50-year profession, David – alongside together with his spouse, Patricia – was instrumental in serving to to readjust a few of Hollywood’s largest films for the format he passionately championed. As Christopher Nolan talked about, the final accomplished film David labored on was Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed vampire epic, Sinners. Coogler was mirrored on assembly and attending to know the late govt, fondly recalling their chats and excursions of IMAX headquarters:
I will miss our talks concerning the science of movie publicity in addition to listening to his tales about falling in love with the format as a younger man in Canada. I will miss his excursions. And can miss listening to his callouts in our high quality management critiques. Anybody who’s ever had their thoughts blown by the photographs in an IMAX theatrical presentation has David to thank for it. It is on us now, each filmmakers and movie goers, to maintain the format alive and pushing ahead as he supposed.
Francis Ford Coppola recalled working with Keighley as effectively, not solely expressing his condolences however calling his dying “a serious loss for cinema” as effectively. One other auteur, Denis Villeneuve supplied reward for Keighley as effectively. Villeneuve – who’s at present in manufacturing on one other movie set for IMAX, Dune: Half Three – had this to say:
Some individuals are irreplaceable. David Keighley is one in all them. Cinema is mourning one in all its most good technical masters. My honest condolences to his household.
Due to Keighley’s efforts, moviegoers world wide have been in a position to take pleasure in huge movies in IMAX theaters. I’ve personally seen greater than my fair proportion of flicks within the format and am planning to see a couple of extra movies that approach earlier than the 2025 film schedule wraps up. The cinema-loving public owes Keighley an excessive amount of gratitude for what he completed, and it’s fantastic that a few of the trade’s largest administrators are honoring him. We right here at CinemaBlend lengthen our condolences to the Keighley household right now.