Universal, Imax Extend Multiyear Film-Slate Deal

The giant-screen exhibitor will supersize studio titles like 'First Man,' 'The Voyage of Dr. Dolittle' and 'Mortal Engines.'

Imax and Universal Pictures has inked a new multiyear film-slate deal that will digitally supersize select titles from the studio, starting with Damien Chazelle's First Man, as the partners' long-running relationship is extended.

The giant-screen exhibitor isn't disclosing the term of the latest slate deal, which was first struck in 2014. Under the agreement, Imax's screens will be part of Universal's release strategy for DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the Robert Downey Jr.-starrer The Voyage of Dr. Dolittle and the next installment in the Fast & Furious franchise.

Also included in the new slate deal is Illumination's Dr. Seuss' The Grinch; Mortal Engines, executive produced by Peter Jackson; and M. Night Shyamalan's Glass.

As part of the deal, each of the Hollywood titles from Universal will continue to be digitally remastered for the Imax format.

"Universal's slate strategy has always been engineered to make movies that appeal to global audiences, and we're thrilled to continue our partnership with Imax to present our films in this truly immersive format," Duncan Clark, Universal's president of international distribution, and Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution, said in a joint statement.