There are few filmmakers around town who can pretty much get whatever they want, and until he stumbles (if that happens), Christopher Nolan is one of them. The man behind the blockbuster “The Dark Knight” trilogy and who turned an idea about dream thieves into a massive hit can basically have it his way. And so, when it comes to Paramount‘s recent shift to an all digital distribution strategy for their films (“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” was their last official film to be release on an actual print), it’s not a shock that Nolan will ensure that a celluloid version exists as well.
The LA Times reports that Paramount will release both digital and film versions of “Interstellar” when it hits cinemas last this year. And it’s not really a big shock. Of course, the filmmaker has long been an advocate of celluloid, and, naturally, his latest is being shot on 35mm with IMAX utilized for some sequences. So from a technical standpoint it makes sense, and, frankly, the cost of striking prints is worth it to keep someone like Nolan happy, and hopefully in your studio corner for years to come. But Paramount teases that other movies and directors might get a break as well.
“Although we anticipate the majority of the studio’s future releases to be executed in digital formats across the U.S., select exceptions will be made,” said vice chairman of Paramount Pictures, Rob Moore. And that’s nice and all, but we’re guessing those exceptions will be few and far between.
But, rest easy. If you absolutely demand that the special effects spectacle that is “Interstellar” be projected from a strip of film, you will have that option on November 7th.
