- Title: USA: Leonardo DiCaprio narrates new IMAX space film "Hubble 3D"
- Date: 22nd March 2010
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 12, 2010) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) TONI MYERS, "HUBBLE 3D" DIRECTOR, SAYING: "I think the basis of IMAX is really that, because of the huge picture and the brightness of it, and the immersive quality of the 3D, you get to take people and give them an experience they couldn't normally have. And so that'
- Embargoed: 6th April 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Space
- Reuters ID: LVA7GEVQNZK40BDU7WZDHUJNIA4L
- Story Text: Leonardo DiCaprio lends his voice to the new IMAX space film "Hubble 3D."
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio is quite literally the voice of the new IMAX space film "Hubble 3D."
DiCaprio narrates the 45-minute documentary which features both video of the recent spacewalks to repair the giant telescope, and images of distant galaxies captured by the Hubble that have never been seen before now.
The film chronicles the work done in May 2009 by astronauts travelling aboard the Shuttle Atlantis.
Mission specialist Mike Massimino described the lift-off experience.
"It's this incredible feeling of speed and power and acceleration, like some beast has grabbed you. Some monster has come out of the sky and swooped down and grabbed you. And you're off on this great adventure, and you have nothing to say about where you're going. You're just hoping everything's working okay, as you go on this journey."
Following a safe arrival in space the crew had to then locate and carefully grab the orbiting telescope with a giant mechanical arm.
All this while moving at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour and hovering 350 miles above the Earth.
Director Toni Myers talked about why she was interested in making this particular film.
"Ever since we first filmed the Hubble, which we did for another movie 'The Original Deploy,' and the first repair mission. Since then, Hubble had brought back so much wonderful imagery, and made so many fascinating discoveries. The website is a marvel. You can get lost in there for a week. I'd wanted to make a film that married the IMAX 3D canvas with that wonderful imagery."
This is the 7th movie Myers has made set in space. But she has a special interest in the large-scale IMAX format.
"I think the basis of IMAX is really that, because of the huge picture and the brightness of it, and the immersive quality of the 3D, you get to take people and give them an experience they couldn't normally have. And so that's why the films I make are 'To The Bottom of The Ocean,' to the edge of the universe in this case. It's a wonderful opportunity to give ordinary people of every age - our audience is from three to 103 - an experience that they couldn't normally have."
Massimino shares her enthusiasm for being able to present a film of this kind on a giant, 5-story theatre screen.
"Probably the only frustration or sad thing about being an astronaut is when you see these wonderful things, you know, you see the Earth, you get to work on the Hubble, it's hard to describe. I wish I could share it. You know, I wish my wife and my kids and my friends, and you were with us. You could see this whole world. You could see the planet as we get to see it in space. And, now people can see it."
"Hubble 3D" combines the breathtaking new IMAX footage with images taken by the telescope during the nearly 20 years it has provided observers with a unique window into space. Through advanced computer visualization, Hubble's detailed data was transformed into a series of scientifically realistic flights that unfold like a guided tour of the universe, through time and space.
"Hubble 3D" opened in IMAX theatres in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, and Denmark on Friday, March 19, 2010. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None