JoBlo.com is reporting that only 11 screens will be showing Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the 70mm film format. This may be good news for some of you, but a little frustrating for others.

70mm presentation has been championed by several of the film industry’s heavyweights as the best way to view their work. Although many IMAX showings of The Force Awakens are geared up for the December release, only 11 US Theaters are scheduled to show the film in the 70mm format. They are listed below.



McWane Center IMAX Dome Theatre – Birmingham

IMAX, U.S. Space & Rocket Center – Huntsville

Hackworth IMAX Dome, The Tech Museum – San Jose

Museum of Discovery & Science AutoNation IMAX – Ft. Lauderdale

IMAX Dome, Museum of Science & Industry – Tampa

IMAX, Indiana State Museum – Indianapolis

Blank IMAX Dome, Science Center of Iowa – Des Moines

Branson’s IMAX, Entertainment Complex – Branson

St. Louis Science Center OMNIMAX Theatre – St. Louis

Tuttleman IMAX, The Franklin Institute– Philadelphia

Boeing IMAX, Pacific Science Center – Seattle

Speaking as a science-fiction fan, I was lucky to view Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in the 70mm format when it was reissued a few years ago. IMAX is a pretty cool way to see a film, but I must say I preferred the 70mm format because the size is not as distracting as IMAX can be at times. The picture is incredibly clean and it felt, in my opinion, as an extraordinary cinematic experience. 70mm presentation may sound antiquated to some moviegoers, and that’s the only guess we can make as to why The Force Awakens will see such limited release in the format.

Hopefully, there will be second-run showings sometime in 2016 with more screens added.