Oppenheimer: What You Need To Know About 70mm IMAX & Where To Watch
After months of hype, "Barbie" vs. "Oppenheimer" is nearly upon us, giving audiences one of the greatest cinematic showdowns in history. While both are sure to be masterpieces on their own, Christopher Nolan filmed his latest project entirely on 70mm large format film, offering audiences an unbelievable viewing experience that "Barbie" does not — but what exactly does that mean?
Simply put, seeing "Oppenheimer" in IMAX 70mm will give audiences the most immersive movie-going experience, with the biggest screen, highest-quality sound, and brightest, clearest image possible. IMAX 70mm boasts more than 10 times the resolution of your average 35mm projector in most movie theaters, meaning the already-massive screen will have more pixels, resulting in a crisper image. "The sharpness and clarity and the depth of the image is unparalleled," Nolan explained in an interview with The Associated Press. "The headline, for me, is by shooting in IMAX 70mm film, you're really letting the screen disappear. You're getting a feeling of 3D without any glasses. You've got a huge screen and you're filling the peripheral vision of the audience. You're immersing them in the world of the film."
While Nolan's statement more than sells seeing "Oppenheimer" in IMAX 70mm, it won't be as easy as driving to your local theater, as only a few locations worldwide support the large-scale format.
IMAX 70mm locations are sparse
Christopher Nolan has stated time and time again that IMAX 70mm is his preferred viewing method for "Oppenheimer," and seeing his recreation of the first nuclear blast on the big screen may be worth the high ticket prices. However, another limiting factor of IMAX 70mm is that few locations support the large-scale format, so finding a theater could be challenging.
In the United States, only 19 movie theater locations are capable of screening "Oppenheimer" in IMAX 70mm, meaning that not even every IMAX theater has the 70mm option. Finding a location is even more difficult because California houses seven IMAX 70mm theaters in San Francisco, Universal City, Hollywood, Ontario, Irvine, Sacramento, and Dublin. Other cities in the U.S. with IMAX 70mm screenings of "Oppenheimer" are Tempe, Fort Lauderdale, Buford, Indianapolis, Detroit, Grand Rapids, New York City, King of Prussia, Providence, San Antonio, Dallas, and Nashville.
Those hoping to experience "Oppenheimer" in IMAX 70mm outside of the U.S. will have an even harder time finding a screening. Canada boasts six locations, in Calgary, Edmonton, Langley, Mississauga, Woodbridge, and Regina, while Australia only has one theater in Melbourne. There are three locations in the United Kingdom — two in London and one in Manchester — and Prague houses the only other European location.