Quentin Tarantino's new film is causing some cinemas a small fortune. On Christmas Day, the two-time Academy Award winner's latest project, the star studded western film The Hateful Eight, begins its limited release run in theatres.
What makes this film different from past Tarantino productions is the 70mm format it was shot in. In recent years, the old school celluloid has seen a resurgence thanks to auteurs like Paul Thomas Anderson and Christopher Nolan who prefer the format for its wide aspect ratio and vivid, ultra-detailed image quality.
That improved visual fidelity comes at a cost however. The format's age and relative obscurity means that most modern movie houses lack the film projectors required to display the film. This Vulture piece from 2012 has a nice breakdown of the pros and cons of 70mm filmmaking.
According to the New York Times, some outlets are shelling out close to $80,000 in order to outfit their theatres with the equipment necessary to screen Tarantino's film.
The Weinstein Company, the film's distributors, have been the ones leading the charge behind showing it in the format and are essentially footing the bill on the whole endeavor.
"Over a period of a year and a half, the Weinstein Company, which will distribute the film, arranged for old projectors to be procured, purchased and refurbished and new lenses to be made for theaters." Says the Times article.
Close to 100 theatres in the US will show The Hateful Eight in 70mm. For comparison, Nolan's Interstellar was screened in 70mm at only 11 locations while Anderson's The Master was shown in 16.
Those unable to make it to one of the select locations must wait until January 8, which is when The Hateful Eight opens wide in the more commonly used digital format.
