Although the number of theatres that will show 70mm prints is dwindling, filmmakers aren’t shying away from the format just yet. Paul Thomas Anderson used it for The Master, and Christopher Nolan did the same with Interstellar. Making headlines most recently though for 70mm is Quentin Tarantino, who’s gearing up to release The Hateful Eight in the high-resolution format.
While 70mm is obviously not a draw for everyone, it seems that studios are still interested in dabbling in it, as Warner Bros. is apparently looking into the format for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. That’s according to THR, who tells us that the studio is “mulling it over,” as director Zack Snyder shot parts of the film in 65mm IMAX. The report goes onto state that Warner is also considering re-releasing some catalog films in 70mm.
Over the next few weeks, a lot of eyeballs will be focused on Tarantino’s upcoming effort to see how it performs and if the format is worth exploring any further. Again, though, I can’t imagine that the majority of moviegoers even know what 70mm is, let alone the differences that it brings.
Sure, the image is no doubt crisper, sharper and brighter, allowing you to see details you may have otherwise not noticed, but would people really be willing to pay more for that? Tickets prices are already pretty expensive as is, and considering that your average Joe probably hasn’t even heard of 70mm, it’s going to be tough asking people to fork over more money to see a film in that format.
We’ll have a better idea of how people react to 70mm when The Hateful Eight begins its run at the box office next week, but until then, tell us, would you pay more money to see Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in this format?
