LOS ANGELES – Dec. 2, 2025 – A passionate filmmaker and advocate for the IMAX format has launched a public campaign to help restore and re-release the original 1992 IMAX documentary Titanica, directed by Stephen Low. The initiative calls for IMAX to grant access to the original film materials so the long-lost director’s cut can be properly remastered for a new 4K UHD Blu-ray release and special engagements in IMAX 70mm theaters.
Released in 1992, Titanica was one of the first large-format films to document an expedition to the RMS Titanic wreck site. Shot on IMAX 70mm, the film captured what remains the highest-resolution footage ever recorded of the shipwreck — the equivalent of 12K image quality. However, the 95-minute original theatrical version has been unavailable for decades and exists only through outdated VHS and LaserDisc formats.
The version currently in circulation is a shorter, re-edited television cut, rescored and re-narrated, which the filmmaker leading the campaign describes as a “downscaled, compromised release that does not reflect Stephen Low’s original vision.” According to the filmmaker, IMAX has not yet granted the Stephen Low Company access to the original negatives or print needed for a proper remaster.
In a recent conversation with director Stephen Low, the filmmaker learned previously undisclosed stories about the production, along with the director’s continued hope that the original version might one day return. Low shared that Titanic survivor Eva Hart attended a theatrical screening of the IMAX film and “was enchanted by it,” reinforcing the cultural and historical significance of preserving the director’s intended version.
“A 70mm IMAX print of Titanica still contains the most pristine visual record of the wreck as it appeared when first discovered,” the filmmaker said. “As the ship continues to deteriorate underwater and public interest grows, it is more important than ever that this material be restored and made available to audiences.”
Beyond its historical importance, Titanica is also notable for its cinematic approach. Rather than presenting events in traditional documentary style, Stephen Low crafted the film as a narrative experience — grounded in fact, but edited and structured like a dramatic feature.
The campaign seeks public support to encourage IMAX to collaborate with Stephen Low and his company so that Titanica can be remastered in 4K, preserved for future generations, and returned to IMAX 70mm theaters where it was originally intended to be seen.
“Please share and support this effort,” the filmmaker said. “Let’s bring back the definitive Titanic film in the best format ever created.”
Supporters can sign the petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/help-re-release-remaster-the-original-version-of-the-imax-masterpiece-titanica-for-4k-bd
