Christopher Nolan IMAX Film Prints Destroyed By Paramount?
As movies and TV have increasingly shifted towards a focus on digital, many film enthusiasts have been unable to keep from expressing concerns about the preservation of movies in the long-term. Cinephiles frequently extol the importance of maintaining hard copies of movies in case the digital editions get wiped or no longer carried by any streaming companies. But if recent rumors are true about Paramount, they evidently do not share this belief, as it is being stated that they have destroyed all of the 70mm IMAX prints of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.
Throws A Wrench In The Re-Release Works
This is especially awkward if true, as just next month Christopher Nolan was supposed to be hosting a Q&A of the film’s 70mm re-release. If those have indeed been destroyed, then Nolan’s plans would be very difficult to make happen. While nothing has officially been confirmed yet, on the same day these rumors started, it was also announced that Nolan’s Q&A event was being pushed back until December.
Hasn’t Been Confirmed, But Suspicions Are Valid
Some people are taking that postponement as an unspoken admission of guilt from Paramount. The rumors about this situation also make it clear that Christopher Nolan did not authorize the destruction of any prints of Interstellar, and that he is supposedly furious about this situation. Word is that he has demanded Paramount pay for the production of new 70mm prints to correct their supposed mistake, and that Paramount is refusing to do so.
Again, neither side has officially confirmed any of this as of yet, but the timing of the postponement is certainly suspect.
Those High-Gloss Memos Are Hard To Read
If Paramount did destroy Christopher Nolan’s prints, it actually would not even be the first time that they have done this to a movie. It happened again back in 1991 when they destroyed every 70mm print of Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven. Evidently, that situation was a mistake as a result of a misunderstood memo.
If Nolan’s prints legitimately were also destroyed, it will be interesting to hear what the reasoning was for why that occurred.
The Importance Of Physical Media
Christopher Nolan is a lover of physical film, so incidents like this would no doubt reinforce his feelings of the transition to fully digital being a mistake. While digital might be preferred for many studios due to it saving on physical space and making it easy to distribute films electronically, critics do feel that it loses some of the picture quality. Plus it is far easier to accidentally delete a film electronically than it is to accidentally get rid of a physical film.
Hopefully Just A Misunderstanding That We Can Laugh About Later
If it is indeed true that Christopher Nolan’s prints were destroyed, it is shocking that such a thing could happen to such a prolific director. Beyond being well-known for films like Memento and The Dark Knight, he also directed the Best Picture winning Oppenheimer. One would think his prints would have high value as collector’s items even if there was no intention of screening them again.
Regardless, the fact as of now is that Christopher Nolan’s Q&A has been delayed, though a specific reason has not been given. The ensuing days will show if Nolan or Paramount wish to clarify the details regarding the prints from either of their perspectives.
Source: World of Reel
