Best Seats for Interstellar in IMAX
Over an hour shot on 15/70mm IMAX film - sit where the frame can fill your vision.
Christopher Nolan · 2014 · Native IMAX ratio 1.43:1 (true IMAX)
Interstellar is one of the definitive reasons IMAX exists. When a true-IMAX sequence arrives, the image expands from the letterboxed widescreen to the full, almost-square 1.43:1 frame - top to bottom, floor to ceiling of the screen.
Because so much of the film uses that expanded frame, your seat matters more than for a typical release. You want the screen to fill your vertical field of view without forcing you to crane your neck.
Preview the seats in 3D
The live simulator below is set to IMAX. Drag to look around, then open the full tool to pick any seat and see the screen from there.
How Interstellar was shot
Christopher Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema captured roughly an hour of Interstellar on 15-perf 70mm IMAX film - the wormhole, the black hole Gargantua, the dust-bowl cornfields and the water planet all open up to the towering 1.43:1 frame.
| Director | Christopher Nolan |
| Year | 2014 |
| IMAX capture | Shot on 15/70mm IMAX film |
| Expanded IMAX ratio | 1.43:1 (true IMAX) |
Sequences that open up to the full IMAX frame
- The wormhole transit and the journey to Gargantua
- The tidal-wave water planet (Miller's planet)
- The docking sequence with the spinning Endurance
- The opening dust-storm cornfield shots
Where to sit
For Interstellar, aim for the centre column, roughly two-thirds of the way back. On a 1.43:1 (true IMAX) presentation this keeps the very tall frame comfortably within your field of view.
- ✓ Centre seats keep geometry and sound balanced.
- ✓ Two-thirds back avoids neck strain on the tall frame.
- ✕ Avoid the front rows - the image overruns your vision.
- ✕ Avoid the far sides - curvature and sound skew.
Read the full reasoning in our best seat in IMAX guide.
Keep reading
The IMAX Guide →
How the format actually works
Best Seat in IMAX →
The complete seating guide
Viewing Angle Guide →
Optimal distance & angles
IMAX vs Dolby Cinema →
Which format wins?
External references: Interstellar on Wikipedia · IMAX format on Wikipedia
Frequently asked questions
Is Interstellar worth watching in IMAX?
Absolutely. Roughly an hour of Interstellar was shot on 15/70mm IMAX film, so a true-IMAX presentation shows about 40% more image during those sequences. It is one of the best demonstrations of the format ever made.
Where should I sit for Interstellar in IMAX?
Aim for the centre column, roughly two-thirds of the way back (commonly rows 8-11). On a true 1.43:1 IMAX screen this lets the very tall frame fill your vision without neck strain.