Few films in recent memory have captured the intersection of genre, history, and pure cinematic bravado quite like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. Now, thanks to overwhelming fan demand, Warner Bros. is giving audiences another chance to experience the horror-flavored, blues-soaked vampire epic in its most spellbinding form — 70mm IMAX.

Why Sinners in 70mm IMAX Is More Than Just a Re-Release

From May 15 to May 21, select theaters worldwide will showcase Sinners in a special one-week engagement, projected in the ultra-premium 70mm IMAX format. This isn’t just a marketing gimmick. It’s a celebration of a film that was literally crafted for these giant screens. With only 30 theaters across the globe capable of projecting the film in this analog majesty — including 19 in the U.S. — the re-release is as exclusive as it is electrifying.

“If ever a film needed to be experienced in this incredible larger-than-life format, it’s Sinners,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. Pictures’ President of Global Distribution. And he’s not wrong.

Coogler’s latest genre-bender, which stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as the Smokestack Twins — Smoke and Stack — isn’t just a horror film. It’s a mythic journey through the Mississippi Delta in 1932, where blues, blood, and bigotry collide in a visual symphony shot directly onto IMAX 70mm film.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s Historic Cinematography Elevates the Film

Behind the lens, Autumn Durald Arkapaw makes history. Sinners is the first film ever shot on large format IMAX film by a female director of photography. Her work doesn’t just break glass ceilings — it shatters them with style.

Arkapaw’s collaboration with Coogler is a masterclass in visual storytelling. Originally planning to shoot on 16mm, the team pivoted to large format IMAX after a suggestion from Warner Bros. Her inspiration? Conversations with cinematographers like Oppenheimer’s Hoyte van Hoytema and a deep dive into analog film legends like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner 2049.

“We shot ‘Wakanda Forever’ on IMAX, but that was digital,” Arkapaw explained. “We always talked about true IMAX being... something that you see and you fall in love with.” And love it audiences do — especially in scenes like the ominous introduction of Jack O’Connell’s vampire Remmick, filmed as an eerie sunset Western with haunting crane work and a signature Coogler hallway shot.

The Groundbreaking Use of Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX Film

Adding another layer of cinematic innovation, Sinners is the first movie ever shot simultaneously on Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX 65 film cameras. This dual-format approach is more than a technical flex — it’s storytelling through frame ratios.

As Coogler breaks down in a behind-the-scenes Kodak explainer, Ultra Panavision 70 offers a widescreen grandeur with a 2.76:1 aspect ratio, evoking the epic scope of Ben-Hur and The Hateful Eight. IMAX film, on the other hand, provides a taller, more immersive 1.43:1 ratio that fills your peripheral vision with intensity.

“This is the first time ever that a film has been released combining [Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX],” Coogler says. The result? Depending on where you watch Sinners, you’ll experience dynamic aspect ratio shifts designed to heighten emotion and draw you deeper into the world — whether it’s the claustrophobic terror of a blood-soaked hallway or the expansive loneliness of the Delta plains.

Film Analog vs. Digital: A Love Letter to Theaters

In an era dominated by streaming and smartphone screens, Sinners is a defiant love letter to the theater experience. Coogler’s choice to shoot on film — not just any film, but large format analog film — is a deliberate call for audiences to come back to cinemas.

“It’s nice to have a format like IMAX that can be an experience you can only experience in the theaters,” Coogler said. And it shows. The 70mm prints deliver richer blacks, greater dynamic range, and a tactile grain that digital simply can’t replicate. For fans lucky enough to catch the film in one of the 10 locations projecting the actual 15-perforation IMAX film (the same format it was shot in), the experience is nothing short of transcendent.

Michael B. Jordan and the Cast Give Audiences an Unmissable Experience

Co-starring Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Delroy Lindo, and Miles Caton, Sinners isn’t just buoyed by its technical achievements. It’s powered by performances that dig deep into themes of brotherhood, oppression, and survival. Jordan’s dual role as Smoke and Stack adds a mythical layer to the narrative, grounding it in emotion while pushing it into legend.

“This is a movie that’s meant to give for the moviegoing experience… it takes you on a ride,” Jordan said. And what a ride it is — one that’s now back on the big screen in the form it was meant to be seen.

The Ultimate Viewing Choice for Fans and Film Lovers Alike

Whether you’re a die-hard fan who’s already seen Sinners twice, or a cinephile eager to witness film history in motion, the 70mm IMAX re-release is an unmissable event. It’s a rare blend of technological innovation, historical significance, and sheer storytelling power — all wrapped up in a genre-smashing package from one of today’s most visionary directors.

In a world saturated with digital noise, Sinners in 70mm IMAX is a bold reminder of what cinema can be when creators push the medium to its limits. And thanks to fan passion, we’re all getting one more chance to bask in its larger-than-life glory.