Oppenheimer’s IMAX 70mm 11-mile prints already have homes post-theaters

Christopher Nolan is a big fan of the cinema. Oppenheimer It is once more proving that it love him. But long before anyone had actually seen Nolan’s fantastic biopic, the director and his fans alike were talking about its biggest (literally) selling point: IMAX 70mm film projection.

As Nolan and IMAX said in the lead-up to the unlikely blockbuster’s release last month, the three-hour movie spanned a jaw-dropping 11 MilesWhen laid out on IMAX film in 70mm, it weighed about 600 pounds. But here’s a question that wasn’t part of the hype cycle: What happens to a 600-pound, 11-mile film reel when it’s done being played in theaters? Polygon reached out IMAX to get the answer.

Most prints are not a good fit for the newest printers. OppenheimerThey will be put into storage despite the size. IMAX says it’s worth keeping them around because they will still get plenty of use. According to an IMAX spokesperson, IMAX films last, on average 10 times longer than 35mm and 70mm, so the reels you have can still be used in the future. Nolan was one of the few filmmakers who regularly receives IMAX Repertory Screenings. OppenheimerPlease try again.

Some of the massive drums that were used to make film will also end up at other locations. Some will be housed in the film archive at IMAX’s Los Angeles office, according to the rep, while others will remain on site at select IMAX theaters. The British Film Institute in London, for instance, is one of the locations known for retrospectives and marathons of Nolan’s work, “so [they] will certainly find use for it,” the rep said. “The bulk of remaining IMAX film prints in 70mm format for Oppenheimer Universal Pictures (the studio behind the film) will receive the items for storage.

Universal Pictures

You can also contact us by clicking here. Oppenheimer does one day return to theaters, it’ll be in part because IMAX spent top dollar preparing them to handle the projection effort. It turns out that almost as much effort was put into preparing theaters for OppenheimerAs the opposite way around.

Getting projectors ready for Nolan’s film was a process that took more than two years, according to the IMAX spokesperson. It started with IMAX’s trained teams checking in regularly on every projector that would be used. The teams disassembled the projectors and thoroughly cleaned them. They also made sure that theaters where they would be used had all the necessary equipment.

Moreover, each site had two or even three technicians to ensure the perfect setup of all aspects, such as alignment, sound and brightness. IMAX employed 50 projectionists who were career professionals to ensure that every movie played correctly. Each projectionist was provided with special training courses for the movie, and IMAX then sent them out to locations that didn’t have dedicated projectionists of their own.

The two years spent preparing for this event have proven to be well worth it. OppenheimerThe film is so good that it will entice even the most casual moviegoer into seeing it. In fact, most theaters are pushing to extend their IMAX 70mm runs of the movie as long as possible — which is good news, since scalpers are already trying to capitalize on demand by selling tickets secondhand. We can take solace in knowing that when the movie finally leaves theaters there will be closets large enough to store an 11 mile-long film.