David Keighley, the Imax Wizard Who Made Screens Bigger and Dreams Wilder, Passes Away at 77 — What Secret Vision Did He Leave Behind?
Added on September 2, 2025 inMovie News Cards
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Ever wonder what it takes to make those jaw-dropping, eye-popping moments in an Imax theater? Well, David Keighley had that magic touch — the guy was pretty much the human embodiment of Imax itself. Born under the sign of Libra, known for balancing precision and harmony, Keighley spent over five decades sculpting giant-screen experiences that dazzled audiences worldwide. He wasn’t just a behind-the-scenes wizard; he was the first-ever chief quality officer for Imax, overseeing the alchemy that turned raw footage into cinematic gold—from nature documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters. His final project? Christopher Nolan’s groundbreaking The Odyssey, the first film ever shot entirely with Imax cameras, symbolizing a perfect cosmic alignment for his legendary career. As the stars shifted and he bid farewell at 77, we’re left pondering—how many visionaries like Keighley quietly shape the way we see the world, all while the movies roll on? LEARN MORE
David Keighley, the first chief quality officer for Imax and a veteran of the large-format cinema platform for more than 50 years, has died. He was 77.
Keighley died Thursday at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York after a battle with neuroendocrine prostate cancer, his son Geoff Keighley told The Hollywood Reporter.
During his career, Keighley helped Imax migrate from showing mainly institutional movies to digitally reformatting Hollywood titles for the local multiplex and fanboy audiences.
“David was as close to the human embodiment of Imax as there has ever been, relentless in his drive to deliver awe-inspiring images to audiences around the globe,” Imax CEO Richard Gelfond said in a statement. “He was incredibly energized and proud of his work on the upcoming [Christopher Nolan adaptation of] The Odyssey, completing his review of the dailies just days before his death in a bittersweet but fitting capstone to a remarkable career.”
The Toronto native oversaw postproduction on more than 500 Imax films, from Hollywood tentpoles to pioneering nature documentaries. His career in the giant-screen industry started in 1972 when he and his wife and business partner, Patricia, founded the large-format postproduction company DKP 70MM after watching Imax’s North of Superior.
Also that year, the Keighleys co-directed the Imax film Catch the Sun and went on to work on every Imax release to follow, with no Imax film print leaving the lab without David’s inspection. In 1988, the Keighleys’ company was acquired by Imax as the couple formally joined the company.
For the past 15 years, Keighley served as Imax’s first chief quality officer, working alongside Hollywood directors who increasingly embraced Imax proprietary cameras, its giant-screen platform and its promise of visual and sound quality.
“David Keighley was my friend and Imax mentor for over 20 years,” Nolan said in a statement. “His expertise and collaborative spirit put Imax cameras into my hands for the first time and opened Hollywood’s eyes to the power of the format, starting with The Dark Knight.”
Three weeks ago, Keighley completed work reviewing dailies for The Odyssey, which will be the first theatrical release ever shot entirely with Imax cameras. Nolan also praised Keighley for alerting filmmakers and major studios to the existential threat faced by the traditional film medium in the face of digital production.
“No filmmaker would be able to shoot or screen film of any format today if not for David Keighley — our entire industry owes him a massive debt,” he added. “The last film he completed work on was Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, and while it breaks my heart to know that we will not be finishing The Odyssey together, I take comfort knowing that he personally supervised the processing and printing of everything we shot.”
Sinners director Coogler was introduced to Keighley by Nolan. “It was clear from that conversation that David meant the world to Chris,” Coogler recalled in his own statement. “I immediately spoke with our DP Autumn Arkapaw and discovered that David had already been reviewing every frame of our test footage and had been writing detailed reports even before we were officially greenlit. He was already looking after our film.
“I’ll miss our talks about the science of film exposure as well as hearing his stories about falling in love with the format as a young man in Canada. I’ll miss his tours. And will miss hearing his callouts in our quality control reviews. Anyone who’s ever had their mind blown by the images in an Imax theatrical presentation has David to thank for it. It’s on us now, both filmmakers and filmgoers, to keep the format alive and pushing forward as he intended.”
James Cameron, whose Avatar sci-fi epic franchise has played big on Imax screens over the years, said of Keighley: “I remember so vividly working closely with David on many projects, starting over 25 years ago when I started exploring digital 3D for Imax. He was a strong ally and a true believer in creating the ultimate cinema experience for audiences around the world. He will be deeply missed.”
Denis Villeneuve, whose upcoming Dune 3 tentpole used Imax cameras, also lauded Keighley for ensuring the best visual and sound quality on the giant screen: “Some people are irreplaceable. David Keighley is one of them,” he said. “Cinema is mourning one of its most brilliant technical masters.”
Keighley was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (and a participant in its science and technology awards committee), a member of the American Society of Cinematographers and a recipient of the Giant Screen Theater Association’s inaugural Special Achievement in Film Award.
In addition to his wife and son Geoff, a producer, Keighley is survived by their two other children, Chris and Jennifer, and their grandchildren, Sam and Elia.
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