After saying that Star Wars Episode VII would be shot on regular 35mm film instead of the larger, 70mm IMAX film, a new tweet from the production suggests the jumbo format has not been left out. A new post from Bad Robot's (director J.J.Abrams' production company) Twitter account shows an IMAX camera hoisted high above a sea of sand dunes, saying only "#bestformatever." Slashfilm confirmed with IMAX that the production was using the format, though it remains unclear whether it's only for certain parts of the film versus the entire feature.
#bestformatever pic.twitter.com/fs6JcTALmZ
— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) July 8, 2014
IMAX's key benefit is its resolution, which is 10 times larger than 35mm film. That format was used in the original trilogy; the later prequel trilogy ultimately relied on digital cameras that were 35mm equivalents in the final two films, and very much in their technological infancy.
The next film is set for a release on December 18th, 2015, and will be followed by two sequels. Alongside those, Disney (which bought Lucasfilm two years ago), is planning a set of standalone films that will be origin stories for some of the characters in the canon. One of those is being helmed by Gareth Edwards, who directed the latest Godzilla reboot.