In another South African television first, Disney and M-Net (DStv 101) are making history by screening the upcoming new Marvel TV series, Inhumans, at IMAX from today before the start on TV on 30 September.
Just like in America and elsewhere around the world where a historic partnership between IMAX, Marvel Television and ABC has resulted in Inhumans being shown on the very big screen as a TV-cinema event, the first two episodes is also being shown in South Africa on IMAX from today thanks to Disney and M-Net (DStv 101) that will start broadcasting Inhumans from 30 September at 20:00.
The first two episodes of Marvel's Inhumans have been filmed in IMAX cameras and has been slightly reworked as a double-bill feature before the 8-episodes are broadcast on television.
It's the first time episodes of a new TV series debuts on IMAX in America and South Africa.
The season opener episodes of the 5th and 6th seasons of HBO's Game of Thrones, also on M-Net, were previously shown as a simulcast in South African cinemas at the same 03:00 hour in South Africa as its broadcast in America.
"People won't go to a theatre to watch any TV show," says Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX in a statement. "I don't think Modern Family in IMAX would be a hit. But we were looking for something that had scale and scope, a franchise that appealed to our millennial audience. I think Inhumans is going to work."
Richard Gelfond in fact got the idea to take Inhumans to the IMAX screen after the success of the Game of Thrones theatrical experience.
On Thursday night M-Net did a special preview showing of Inhumans at IMAX cinemas for competition winners and the media across South Africa before the run from today for about two weeks.
The Inhumans, that first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1965, and made their TV appearance a while ago in the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. also broadcast on M-Net, revolves around a group of superhumans living on the moon but unexpectedly finding their way to Earth and having to survive and fight for their lives.
The leaders of the Inhuman royal family Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Medusa (Serinda Swan) are dethroned in a coup by Black Bolt's brother Maximus (Iwan Rheon).
Interestingly the IMAX released version of Inhumans runs at 75 minutes and has a "secret" teaser at the end after the credit roll. At the end South Africans who streamed out of IMAX theatres at 21:30 on Thursday night, bundled back in when the show seemed to "continue" with the surprise teaser reveal setting up more drama.
When shown on M-Net and elsewhere worldwide on television from 30 September, the first two Inhumans episodes will run 84 minutes.
What it means is that the Inhumans TV version will feature extra scenes, making it worthwile for people who've already watched it on IMAX to tune in to M-Net and to watch it again.
