Quentin Tarantino's THE HATEFUL EIGHT is being looked at by many as the director's "next" western. But, Tarantino is aiming to release a movie that is going to blow audiences away. From a visual standpoint, early buzz from footage shown at Cine Gear Expo at the Paramount Theater over the weekend is that it is going to do just that, thanks to the 70mm projection aspect.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the audience response to the footage was very enthusiastic. Tarantino shot the film on 65mm negative. THE HATEFUL EIGHT is the first film since KHARTOUN five decades ago to use Ultra Panavision 70mm anamorphic lenses. That is something you just can't do with digital.
Panavision's Vice-President of Optical Engineering Dan Sasaki had this to say about the film.
"He really wants to get people back into theaters. You’re not going to get this [at home]. He did something really great to bring that [experience] back. Quentin wanted an epic Western, something that hasn’t been seen in forever, that would really wow people. [When he saw this test,] he started bouncing in his seat."
Rumor has it that Quentin Tarantino and Panavision are working to outfit 50 theaters across the country with 70mm projectors. This would allow audiences to see the film in a way the director intended. Panavision even retro-fitted 19 lenses to allow THE HATEFUL EIGHT to be filmed. Those lenses are expected to be used for STAR WARS ANTHOLOGY: ROGUE ONE, but whether that film is projected in 70mm remains to be seen.
THE HATEFUL EIGHT hits theaters this fall.