Video: Astronauts Praise “Gravity” in IMAX 3D, in Theaters Today!

Gravity! It's the film everyone is saying you have to see in 3D, and the good news is that Alfonso Cuarón's disquieting epic, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, is coming out in Egypt today in both 3D and IMAX 3D.

No 3D movie has generated this much excitement since "Avatar" in 2009, and in the interim years audiences have grown weary of an overuse of the technology that has often felt cheap and unnecessary. Gushing reviews, as well as its initial U.S. box office performance, have turned that whole conversation upside down and restored a lot of faith in the format.

Jim Chabin, president of the International 3D Society, told USA Today, “Gravity is a milestone for 3D. Something very special is happening here. They used the 3D so boldly in this film, and the audience is going along for the ride.”

This past weekend, the film dominated the U.S. box office, giving both Bullock and Clooney their most commercially successful openings ever. After its American release on Friday, revenues reached the dizzying heights of $55.6 million, far surpassing Warner Bros.’ initial projections, with 80% of sales coming from 3D tickets.

Producers and visual effects whizzes are no doubt buzzing off of that statistic, which indicates a combination of jaw-dropping, immersive visual effects, an all-star cast and high critical praise (it’s earned 97% on the review site Rotten Tomatoes, the first live-action film in years to score that high) will have nearly all moviegoers shelling out an additional $3 or $4 dollars for the 3D experience.

In the video above, director Cuarón talks about how the graphics and visuals were heavily inspired by IMAX’s documentary “Hubble 3D,” which provided the “biggest reference” for the film. NASA astronauts, some of whom were consultants on the film, also attest to how realistic the film feels, nodding again to the scientific precision that IMAX technology lent to the project.

Let's be honest with ourselves. Since no one’s holding their breath for the link, "Gravity" is the closest many of us are going to get. Book your tickets now!