As Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. gets ready to drop into theaters this week, and punch you right in the feels, according to early reviews, director James Gunn has reportedly prepared an unprecedented amount (for Marvel) of theatrical versions to maximize the viewing experience for audiences.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Disney’s Vice President of Finishing and Stereo revealed that Gunn created just over 600 unique versions of the new Guardians movie, which is a record for Marvel Studios. Each version is specifically tailored, so the movie can best be seen on wide variety of screen and sound systems:
Gunn “designed it and he shot and framed for it [with this in mind]. That was his creative intention,” Jacobs explains, noting that sometimes these moments where the screen “opens up” were selected based on the visuals but there were no real rules. “Sometimes it’s the music, sometimes it’s what’s happening, sometimes it’s whatever.” Jacobs adds that the “really cool” 3D version also takes particular advantage of the variable framing options.
“Aspect ratio is something that James has really enjoyed being part of the storytelling process,” Jacobs relates.
Gunn reportedly took a page from James Cameron who delivered a record-breaking 1,065 versions for Avatar: The Way of Water. As for how Gunn had time to create all these alternate versions given Marvel’s notorious crunch-time for completing visual effects, the answer is easy: Gunn is just that good. He knew exactly what he wanted for his final Guardians film and executed it.
“It was the movie he was gonna make at the beginning. … We didn’t have to chase a lot of crazy, and the visual effects landed in a rational, sane way. We’ve all been just like pinching ourselves,” Jacobs said.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters on May 5.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)