FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 6, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Cody Hefner (513) 608-5777, chefner@cincymuseum.org
The greatest air show on Earth puts you in the cockpit for a limited time; opening Feb. 14
CINCINNATI – The Blue Angels have been thrilling people across the country and around the globe for more than 75 years. Now IMAX Entertainment proudly presents an exhilarating new abridged version of the documentary The Blue Angels, taking audiences soaring with the Navy’s elite Flight Demonstration Squadron as never before. Opening at Cincinnati Museum Center’s Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater on February 14, the filmed for IMAX immersive footage puts viewers directly into the cockpit for a firsthand view of the Blue Angels’ precision flying, while the aerial shots deliver a spectacular showcase of the breathtaking maneuvers that have made them the world’s premier jet team.
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The Blue Angels also takes you behind the scenes for a revealing, in-depth look at what it takes to become a Blue Angel – from the careful selection process to the challenging training regimen and on through the demanding eight-month show season.
The filmmakers behind The Blue Angels were granted unprecedented access – on the ground and in the air – to invite audiences along, from the first days of rigorous training through to the final show and the passing of the torch to a new team. But even as the documentary lifts the veil of the Blue Angels mystique, it only magnifies the Blue Angels magic.
“This documentary takes us through the Blue Angels’ 2022 season, with three new pilots flying in the formation plus two pilots flying in different positions because the team rotates every year,” said director Paul Crowder. “We follow that challenging journey and everything it entails, for them and for the entire squadron. I don’t think most people quite understand everything it takes to do what they do. We all felt very lucky to be there among these elite pilots, support officers and enlisted personnel and to see how incredibly proud they are to be on this team. There is just a tremendous amount of joy and love, diversity and inclusivity, camaraderie and friendship. The most daunting part for us as filmmakers was how to capture it all and bring it to the screen.”
Producer J.J. Abrams adds, “A documentary following an entire year with the Blue Angels – and doing it in IMAX with tools that are traditionally used in narrative storytelling – felt like an amazing opportunity. Most of the preparation and planning went into filming the aerial maneuvers, but it doesn’t compare to what they go through in preparing for their season. It’s a remarkable thing to see.”
Glen Powell, best known for his starring roles in Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, stepped behind the camera to serve as a producer. “When we look up and see something spectacular, we just take it for granted that it is right,” he notes. “But we don’t see all the effort that it takes to bring that spectacular thing to life. Watching these people sit around the table literally ‘chair flying’ the entire demo and then breaking it down, you feel that relentless pursuit of perfection. It’s a different language; you can’t even process what they’re saying, but you know there is intent behind everything. It really makes it crackle.”
The film is a fitting tribute to the extraordinary teamwork, passion and pride of the hundreds of outstanding men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps who have had the honor to serve in the Blue Angels squadron… past, present and future.
The Blue Angels was directed by Paul Crowder and produced by Glen Powell, Sean Stuart, Glen Zipper, Mark Monroe, J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella. John Turner, Bill O’Dowd, Emerson Davis, Rob Stone and Greg Woolridge served as executive producers, with Maren Domzalski and Bridget Topp co-producing.
The Blue Angels is a Bad Robot, Zipper Bros Film, IMAX Entertainment and Dolphin Films production, in association with Amazon MGM Studios, Sutter Road Picture Company, Diamond Docs and Barnstorm Productions.
The Blue Angels has a run time of 45 minutes. For tickets and showtimes visit cincymuseum.org/blue-angels.
