Quentin Tarantino has made no secret about his preference for shooting on film over digital. Tarantino is also a true believer in the cinematic experience, and he’s about to take that love to another level.
Tarantino reportedly has grand plans for the release of his latest film, The Hateful Eight. Tarantino is rumored to be retrofitting 50 theaters across the U.S. to show the movie in the 70mm format. The Hateful Eight was filmed on 65mm film in 2.78:1 ratio, which is the widest possible ratio. That should make this a unique event for modern moviegoers, if the rumors are true.
70mm test footage from The Hateful Eight was screened over the weekend at Cine Gear Expo, where it was met with great enthusiasm from the crowd.
“He really wants to get people back into theaters.†said Dan Saski, Panavision’s Vice President of Optical Engineering. “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.â€
The Hateful Eight is a post-Civil War Western that finds eight strangers stuck together during a devastating storm, but the real danger may come from each other. Kurt Russell stars as John “The Hangman†Ruth; with Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue; Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren; Walton Goggins as Chris Mannix; Demian Bichir as Bob; Tim Roth as Oswaldo Mobray; Michael Madsen as Joe Gage; and Bruce Dern as General Sanford Smithers.
The Weinstein Company will release The Hateful Eight later this year, but a specific date has not yet been announced.
Movie fans, would you pay extra to see The Hateful Eight in 70mm? Sound off in the comment section below!
