Christopher Nolan definitely started something big when he shot six sequences of The Dark Knight in the 70mm IMAX format and integrated them into the film, which has become the major hit of 2008.  Now Variety is reporting that Michael Bay is shooting three sequences of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in IMAX and Jon Favreau has been talking about using the super size format for portions of Iron Man 2.  D.J. Caruso, who directed Eagle Eye the number one film at the box office last weekend, also wants to shoot portions of his adaptation of Y: The Last Man with IMAX cameras.

The bulky IMAX cameras are the main stumbling block to more significant use of the high resolution format.  The 70mm IMAX process yields far sharper images than standard 35mm film, but this increase in image quality is partially offset by the unwieldy IMAX cameras. But for action set pieces in “tentpole” movies where handheld camerawork is not normally employed anyway, directors appear to be going for the IMAX option to increase the impact and verisimilitude of the action. 

Of course exhibition at the growing number of IMAX theaters has also become standard for summer movie blockbusters, and in that setting the extra quality of the IMAX camerawork really stands out.