David Keighley(1948-2025)
- Editorial Department
- Additional Crew
- Producer
David Keighley was a Canadian film producer and executive, widely recognized as one of the key figures behind the IMAX industry. Over a career spanning more than fifty years, he was regarded as the "guardian" of the IMAX experience: he helped define its visual and sound standards and supervised the production of nearly 500 IMAX films worldwide.
He is also remembered for his collaborations with directors such as Christopher Nolan, overseeing IMAX formatting for The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and Tenet (2020). Until just weeks before his passing, he was still actively working, completing principal photography on Nolan's upcoming film The Odyssey.
Together with his wife Patricia Keighley, with whom he shared both a professional and personal partnership, he transformed IMAX from a technological experiment in the 1970s into a global synonym for cinematic excellence.
His son, Geoff Keighley, the well-known journalist and host of The Game Awards, published a heartfelt tribute highlighting his father's integrity, "passion for excellence," and unwavering family support. Geoff recalled how his father waited until the day after the 2024 Game Awards to reveal his illness, so as not to overshadow his son's work.
David Keighley passed away in New York on August 28, 2025, at the age of 77, from neuroendocrine prostate cancer, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
He is also remembered for his collaborations with directors such as Christopher Nolan, overseeing IMAX formatting for The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and Tenet (2020). Until just weeks before his passing, he was still actively working, completing principal photography on Nolan's upcoming film The Odyssey.
Together with his wife Patricia Keighley, with whom he shared both a professional and personal partnership, he transformed IMAX from a technological experiment in the 1970s into a global synonym for cinematic excellence.
His son, Geoff Keighley, the well-known journalist and host of The Game Awards, published a heartfelt tribute highlighting his father's integrity, "passion for excellence," and unwavering family support. Geoff recalled how his father waited until the day after the 2024 Game Awards to reveal his illness, so as not to overshadow his son's work.
David Keighley passed away in New York on August 28, 2025, at the age of 77, from neuroendocrine prostate cancer, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
