Its official! The sequel to J.J. Abrams' 2009 blockbuster Star Trek will be released in IMAX 3D on May 17, 2013. The film will be the second installation in the new Star Trek series. The first movie grossed more than $375 million at the worldwide box office.

Following on the heels of Paramount Pictures' and Bad Robot's 2011 hit, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the filmmakers have once again taken full advantage of the IMAX® camera as well as the clarity and scope that The IMAX Experience® provides in order to transport fans into this 23rd century world. Several key sections of the film that feature big action set pieces have been captured with IMAX cameras, which has become an integral tool for visionary filmmakers to tell their amazing stories. This behind the scenes photo show the use of an IMAX camera for what looks to be a fight scene (you can see the camera on the rig to the left side of the picture).



Exclusively in IMAX, sequences shot with the extremely high-resolution cameras will expand to fill the entire screen and further immerse the audience in the vast dimension and adventure of this highly-anticipated follow-up. Written by Damon Lindelof  (Prometheus), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek) the sequel follows another chapter of the USS Enterprise crew's exploration into the unknown. Returning to their posts on the Enterprise are Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Bruce Greenwood.  They are joined by new cast members Peter Weller and Alice Eve.

"We were so thrilled with the creative results of shooting IMAX for Mission: Impossible that we jumped at the chance to use the format for Star Trek. All expectations were exceeded -- the action and resolution is insane at this scale.  We cannot wait for audiences to see the crew of the Enterprise in a way they never have before," said J.J. Abrams.

"J.J. and the filmmaking team behind the Star Trek franchise are once again working to give audiences one of the best film going experiences available today," said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures. "Following the great success of the first film in the newly revived franchise, the sequel to Star Trek will no doubt be among the top choices for moviegoers next summer." 
"We are extremely proud to be continuing our successful partnership with Paramount Pictures, J.J., Bryan Burk, Bad Robot and the entire Star Trek team through this iconic franchise that has the perfect DNA for IMAX fans," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment.
The IMAX release of the Star Trek sequel will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Don't worry, the transitions from normal footage to IMAX footage will be nice and smooth! The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will really make Star Trek even more amazing than before.