Interstellar re-release delayed as studio denies 70mm prints of the movie were destroyed

It was announced earlier this year that Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar would return to theaters with a 70mm IMAX to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The release was initially slated for September 27th, but Variety reports that it has been pushed back to December 6th.

Variety was told by knowledgeable individuals that the delay was to better align with the home entertainment relaunch. Interstellar will be shown in 70mm IMAX prints as well as digital screens. Speaking of 70mm, there have been some rumours making the rounds that Paramount had destroyed their 70mm prints of Interstellar, but studio sources have denied it, claiming that they’ve archived more copies of the film than most others. Given their size, 70mm prints typically experience more wear and tear than the average movie during their theatrical runs. According to Variety, it’s not uncommon for them to be deemed unusable once returned to the studio.

The rumours claimed that Christopher Nolan was “furious” at Paramount for allegedly destroying the 70mm prints of Interstellar and even wanted to cancel the whole re-release after the studio refused to make new prints.

Interstellar was a big success upon its release ten years ago (bloody hell), earning largely positive reviews and grossing over $681 million. “In Earth’s future, a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl are slowly rendering the planet uninhabitable,” reads the synopsis. “Professor Brand (Michael Caine), a brilliant NASA physicist, is working on plans to save mankind by transporting Earth’s population to a new home via a wormhole. But first, Brand must send former NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and a team of researchers through the wormhole and across the galaxy to find out which of three planets could be mankind’s new home.“

The film has plenty of fans, including Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy, who stated last year that he would have loved to have starred in it. “I adore Interstellar just because I find it so emotional. I remember seeing it in the cinema when I had little kids,” Murphy said. “It just had a big impact on me. It broke my heart. I love watching his films when I’m not in them because you don’t have to freak out about the size of your ears, or whatever.” The actor did say that Nolan had cast the “right people” in the movie.