IMAX seeks replacement for next Hogwarts adventure

After yesterday’s announcement that the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been moved to July 2009, IMAX Corp, which has a day and date release contract to screen the movie on its large format screens, confirmed it is already exploring alternative titles for this year’s holiday season.

In a statement, the company said ‘it was confident it will secure a solid film for the IMAX theatre network’.

Having a limited number of screens worldwide, the company is very selective in how many movies it screens, so losing the Harry Potter film for this holiday leaves a large gap in its slate.

According to trade reports, the three month Hollywood writers’ strike, which brought filming on all major projects to a standstill over Christmas and into the New Year, has led to production problems on the Potter project.

Here are some Film Fetish-picked candidates for replacement of the Hogwarts tale:

• Max Payne (Release Date: October 17, 2008)
  Come on, who doesn’t want to see Mark Wahlberg blow someone’s dick off on a screen six stories tall.
• Quantum of Solace (Release Date: November 7, 2008)
  Enough of this candy-coated action on IMAX. It’s time for some ass-kickin’, world-travelin’, womanizing, spy flicks.
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (Release Date: December 12, 2008)
  Certainly a more realistic candidate, the previews on this film have been great, and the visuals certainly lend themselves to the format.
• The Spirit (Release Date: December 25, 2008)
  I’m rooting for Frank Miller’s foray into directing as much as any of these pics. He’s the man.