This year we will see, quite possibly, the final two films from one of the most fascinating and innovative filmmakers of our time: Steven Soderbergh.  The director first burst onto the scene in 1989 with Sex, Lies, and Videotape, and in the following years he became a pioneer of independent cinema.  His filmography is one of joyous variety, and he’s proven skilled at everything from big commercial hits (the Ocean’s trilogy), to serious dramas (Traffic), to comedies (The Informant!), and even small-budget experimental films (Bubble).

Steve recently sat down with Soderbergh for a 45-minute interview in anticipation of his upcoming psychological thriller Side Effects.  As the conversation is both lengthy and absorbing, we’ll be sharing a small portion of the interview each day this week before unveiling the full thing on Friday.  Appropriately, we’re kicking things off with the filmmaker’s thoughts on his preferred digital camera, his thoughts on 48 frames-per-second, whether digital can ever match IMAX quality, what Kickstarter means for today’s burgeoning filmmakers, and more.  Hit the jump to read on.

Jurassic Park recently received a 3D post-conversion for re-release even though the film is astounding without the 3D.  I don’t know if it will make the film any better (probably not), but now it will be getting the IMAX treatment as well.  I wish the movie would get the IMAX without the 3D like Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I can’t deny the temptation to see Jurassic Park on an IMAX screen.

Hit the jump for the press release.  Jurassic Park 3D opens April 5th.  The IMAX engagement is for one-week.

In a small, nondescript office building somewhere in Los Angeles, director Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy) and his post-production team are working feverishly behind the scenes finishing up his second feature film, Oblivion, for its April 19 release.  Tom Cruise stars as one of the last remaining drone repairman stationed on a post-apocalyptic Earth.  He works as part of a mission to extract vital resources from the ground following a decades-long war with a threat known as the Scavs.  When Cruise’s character rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft, events are set in motion that force him to “question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.”  Oblivion also stars Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Melissa Leo.

Recently, I got to do an extended interview with Kosinski at his post-production facility.  We talked about how he came up with the idea, why they filmed in Louisiana and used the new Sony CineAlta F65 camera, how and why they’re releasing the film a week early in IMAX,  why he chose M83 to do the soundtrack (and if it’s all new music), how long was his first cut and what’s the current running time, how he landed Cruise, the costumes and design of the ships, why Disney passed and how it landed at Universal, if things changed on set, and so much more.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

I love seeing movies in IMAX.  It’s absolutely my favorite way to see a movie as there is nothing like the huge IMAX screen and booming surround sound.  In addition, whenever I ask a director about IMAX, their face lights up and they always say it’s their preferred format for audiences to see their movie.

And Peter Jackson feels the same way about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, especially in 48fps (high frame rate).  In the clip you can see after the jump, Jackson says you should see The Hobbit in this new format “because it will give you a immersive sense of reality like taking the screen away and you’re looking into a window into the real world.  48fps in IMAX is the ultimate way to see this film.”  Hit the jump for more.

A new poster for the upcoming fifth film in the Die Hard franchise, A Good Day to Die Hard, has been released online.  The story takes place in Moscow and sees Bruce Willis’ John McClane teaming up with his estranged son (Jai Courtney) to take on some Russian baddies.  This tagline-free poster is simple, as it just features McClane Sr. and McClane Jr. holding some big guns and mean muggin’.  Embedded in this poster, though, is the news that this will be the first Die Hard film to get the IMAX treatment, so fans will get the chance to see some really, really big explosions.  The film’s first trailer was pleasantly surprising, so hopefully director John Moore delivers the goods when the full film hits theaters.

Hit the jump to check out the poster.  The film also stars Sebastian Koch, Yulia Snigir, Cole Hauser, Amaury Nolasco, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Anne Vyalitsyna, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  A Good Day to Die Hard opens February 14, 2013. [Update: We've updated the article with a new featurette focusing on Jai Courtney that includes some new footage.]

The Star Trek Into Darkness teaser released last week was great, but with one obvious drawback: it was one short minute.  Paramount and director J.J. Abrams want to show you more footage, but you will have to go seek it out.  The studio has put together a 9-minute preview that will play before screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in IMAX 3D.  To make sure you are headed to one of the 288 theaters with all that Star Trek footage, double check the full list of participating theaters after the jump.

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Peter Weller, and Noel Clarke star in Star Trek Into Darkness, set for release on May 17, 2013.

Though development on a sequel to Top Gun appears to have stalled following the tragic death of director Tony Scott, it appears that the 3D re-release of the original will be getting the largest possible exhibition.  We’ve long-known that Scott’s 1986 classic was getting a 3D post-conversion, but Paramount Pictures announced today that the film will be released exclusively in select IMAX 3D screens for a limited engagement starting February 8th.  Fans now have a chance to see that intense slow motion volleyball fighter pilot action on the big, big screen.  Hit the jump for the full press release.

In case you somehow missed it, the excellent debut announcement teaser for J.J. Abrams’ upcoming sequel Star Trek Into Darkness was released online early this morning.  A different, longer trailer will be attached to screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey next weekend, but hardcore Trekkies will be able to get a more comprehensive look at the film by way of a 9-minute 3D IMAX preview of Into Darkness in front of IMAX screenings of The Hobbit.

The folks over at IMAX have just released a full list of the theaters that will be playing the preview next weekend.  It appears that the tease is primarily playing on digital IMAX screens, so those near the old school 70mm IMAX theaters may be out of luck.  Hit the jump to check out the full list to find out where you can see the Star Trek preview in a theater near you.  Star Trek Into Darkness opens in 2D, 3D, and IMAX on May 17, 2013.

IMAX has taken to rewarding their die-hard midnight audiences with exclusive posters.  Their latest batch is for the IMAX 3D release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  The set of four posters features Bilbo (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), and Gollum (Andy Serkis).  The posters also have the film’s title written in dwarvish or elfish or some other language that author J.R.R. Tolkien made up.  You can also see that Gollum is clearly jealous that he doesn’t have a sword to hold up in front of his face.

Hit the jump to check out the posters, and click here for a list of participating theaters.  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens December 14th.

Though the Twilight franchise recently came to a close with the release of Breaking Dawn – Part 2, another wildly popular YA franchise is only just getting started.  Production is currently underway in Atlanta on the second installment in the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire, and fans are eager to see what director Francis Lawrence will bring to the adaptation after taking over the director’s chair from Hunger Games helmer Gary Ross.  Star Josh Hutcherson recently spoke a bit about how the shoot is going, teasing some impressive set designs and revealing which scenes from the pic will be filmed with IMAX cameras.

Hit the jump to see what he had to say, but beware of spoilers for those that haven’t read the book.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens on November 22, 2013.

Earlier today, IMAX announced that it had signed a 20-picture deal with Warner Bros., revealing a few upcoming IMAX releases in the process.  Now the large-format company has updated its official site with a few interesting additions that seem to confirm a couple of 3D releases and another IMAX release.  Briefly:

• All You Need Is Kill – The Doug Liman-directed sci-fi action film starring Tom Cruise will be released in 3D, presumably through a post-conversion.
• Jupiter Ascending – Lana and Andy Wachowski will apparently be making their 3D debut with the upcoming sci-fi film starring Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis.
• Transcendence – Dark Knight and Inception cinematographer Wally Pfister’s directorial debut will, unsurprisingly, be released in the IMAX format.

Hit the jump for more details.

IMAX and Warner Bros. have signed a 20-picture deal.  Over the next three years, Warner Bros. will release 20 movies in the IMAX format.  This will obviously include the studios 2013 tentpole releases Jack the Giant Slayer, Man of Steel, Pacific Rim, 300: Rise of an Empire, Gravity, Seventh Son, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  It’s a big coup for both companies due to IMAX’s higher ticket prices, and I’m a little surprised to see Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity included in the mix, but glad to see it considered on the same level as Superman and The Hobbit.

Hit the jump to check out the press release.  The next Warner Bros. film to hit IMAX will be The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

While many have been wondering exactly when we’ll be getting our first look at director J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi sequel Star Trek Into Darkness, it appears that Abrams and Paramount are taking the Christopher Nolan approach in unveiling the first footage from the highly anticipated film.  Paramount announced today that they will be releasing the first nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness on 500 IMAX 3D screens on December 14th.  The clip will apparently play in front of showings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  This is similar to what Nolan did with The Dark Knight Rises, as he screened the prologue for fans exclusively in IMAX theaters in December of last year.

Abrams filmed a few Star Trek Into Darkness scenes with IMAX cameras, and the format seems a fine fit for the sci-fi adventure pic.  No word on when a proper trailer will be unveiled, but I’d be shocked if it wasn’t attached to Paramount’s Tom Cruise actioner Jack Reacher, which opens on December 21st.  Hit the jump for more, including the full press release.

As they’ve started doing for all their major releases, IMAX has unveiled an exclusive poster for Skyfall that will be handed out at the film’s midnight showings.  Director Sam Mendes‘ James Bond pic is getting some special IMAX treatment, as the film will open one day earlier on IMAX screens than regular theaters.  Attendees will be given this simple yet classic-looking poster that features Daniel Craig’s Bond and a very familiar vehicle.

Hit the jump to check out the poster.  The film also stars Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Helen McCrory, and Ralph Fiennes.  Skyfall opens internationally on October 26th, in US IMAX theaters on November 8th, and in US conventional theaters on November 9th.

As we reported back in February, the new James Bond film Skyfall will be the first movie in the franchise to be released in IMAX.  Today, the official 007 Twitter feed has announced that the U.S. IMAX release will be on November 8th, one day earlier than the general release for the upcoming action flick.  Granted, it’s not like the big jump Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol had on its IMAX release, but it will still draw out the Bond diehards to shell out a little more money to see the flick a day early.  Of course if American fans really love Bond, they could always hop the Atlantic to see the movie open in the U.K. on October 26th.

Hit the jump to check out a new TV spot film along with a banner featuring Ben Whishaw as Q.  Skyfall also stars Daniel Craig, Bérénice Marlohe, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Helen McCroy, Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes, and Javier Bardem.