Spike Jonze Tapped As First-Ever IMAX Artist-In-Residence

IMAX is going arthouse. On the heels of the entertainment technology company's collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson to screen the experimental one-reeler Anima starring Thom Yorke of Radiohead, IMAX announced a partnership with filmmaker Spike Jonze. Jonze will serve as the company's first-ever Artist-in-Residence to help the company "identify new creative opportunities and partnerships across its platform."

IMAX Corporation has tapped Spike Jonze as the first-ever Artist-in-Residence for IMAX Entertainment, a role that will help expand a primarily tech company into more creative realms. The announcement comes as IMAX is beginning to experiment with different projects and events, including Paul Thomas Anderson's buzzy Anima.

Megan Colligan, President of IMAX Entertainment, said in a statement accompanying the announcement:

"Spike Jonze is one of the most innovative creators of our time, having made a wildly successful career of reshaping audience expectations and experiences across filmmaking, music, and culture. As more artists look to bring their work to life in the IMAX Experience, Spike's guidance will help us continue to evolve how we empower creators and engage audiences worldwide through our unique platform."

"I love seeing movies in IMAX. I love the room. I love the sound. I love the picture," added Jonze. "The possibilities and their openness to experiment with things that can be done in that room — whether in film, music, live, or beyond — are very exciting to me."

It seems IMAX is eager to work with independent auteurs who can stretch their capabilities beyond just the blockbuster format. Jonze is certainly the right choice for that, working in films that are intimate, challenging, and visually creative.

Jonze is best known for his critically acclaimed feature films like Being John Malkovich, for which he was nominated for Best Director at the Oscars, Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are, and Her, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. However, the auteur is no stranger to experimenting with different mediums. Earlier this year, he directed a single-take live music video for Karen O and Danger Mouse's single "Woman". Last year, he directed Apple's lauded "Welcome Home" ad featuring FKA Twigs. He's also taken a shine to the live medium, co-creating and co-producing Frank Ocean's "Blonded" festival tour. While he hasn't frequently worked with IMAX technology before, it'll be fascinating to see where Jonze takes this collaboration.