When Interstellar is released in theaters next month, it will play in some locations before others. Theaters with 35mm, 70mm, and 70mm IMAX projection systems will begin showing Christopher Nolan‘s new sci-fi as early as the night of Tuesday, November 4 and the wee morning hours of November 5, while those that have embraced a digital-only agenda will have to wait a couple extra days to begin screening Nolan’s upcoming epic.
This has some exhibitors (and audiences) feeling giddy, as they’ll be able to get a two-day head start on screening one of the fall’s most anticipated and buzzed-about releases. However, theater owners who have made the switch to digital-only projection are, well, pretty upset about the move.
The transition to digital has largely been led by the studios, and now these owners find themselves at odds with Paramount over the fact their theaters won’t be able to display the picture in advance because they no longer have traditional film projectors. It’s worth noting Paramount is the same studio that announced in January it would no longer distribute movies on film stock, only to pull an about-face and decide to issue film prints of Interstellar to select theaters.
“It makes no sense to step back in time,” one exhibitor explained, and while he may be right, there is something to be said about the magic and wonder film has brought us through the years. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore said the decision was strictly about the cinematic experience, the sense of magic and wonder films provide us. He explained: “Interstellar plays spectacularly, and we have a filmmaker who loves film, so we wanted to take a moment to showcase film as an important part of our heritage.”
Director Christopher Nolan has been one of the leading advocates for preserving the celluloid format, alongside filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Martin Scorsese, though the latter has added both digital and 3-D to his filmmaking repertoire in recent years. Earlier this summer, Nolan dismissed those formats as “cost-cutting exercises disguised as digital ‘upgrades’ or gimmickry aimed at justifying variable ticket pricing.”
In spite of Nolan’s comments, and Paramount’s decision to allow theaters with traditional film projectors to screen his movie two days earlier than those who have converted strictly to digital, I can see why theater owners are upset. It cost a sizable chunk of change to outfit their auditoriums with digital projectors, and now one of the studios leading the charge on the conversion from film to digital has made a decision they believe devalues the technological upgrades they’ve made.
All said, I don’t particularly have a dog in this fight. I’m a child of the digital age, a time where independent filmmakers, lauded auteurs, and blockbuster directors alike have embraced digital photography, and with tremendous results. At the same time, I respect the rich history of film and the value of celluloid filmmaking, as well as the great works many of my favorite directors, past and present, have created using celluloid as their artistic canvas.
I’m also fortunate to live in a city with an IMAX theater that still projects movies the old-fashioned way, by shining light through celluloid as it spins on fast-moving reels, so while I see why some exhibitors feel shafted, I am delighted I and many others will be able to see Interstellar in the manner its director intended it to be seen. But that’s just me — what do you think?
To find out if Interstellar will be shown two days early on 35mm, 70mm, or 70mm IMAX projectors near you, you can check listings for each presentation format here.
