Quentin Tarantino wants to make sure that The Hateful Eight is a film you must see in theaters. Based on test footage shown at the Cine Gear Expo Saturday at the Paramount lot, it will not disappoint his fans or anyone who likes to see film on real film.
The footage, shot by Oscar winner Robert Richardson, was mostly close-ups of actors, interiors and exteriors. It was projected on 70mm anamorphic film for the audience, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
“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,” Panavision VP of optical engineering, Dan Sasaki told THR. “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.”
Collider notes that cinematographer Bill Bennett was at the event and called the footage “crazy beautiful.” He even snapped a picture of the screen to show how wide the image looks. It will have an aspect ratio of 2.76:1, which is wider than the typical 2.39:1 ratio used for most of today’s widescreen productions.
It is believed that Hateful Eight is the first film to use Ultra Panavision 70 anamorphic lenses since the 1966 Charlton Heston movie Khartoum. But Panavision said that there is increased interest in using these lenses. Even Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars anthology: Rogue One cinematographer Greig Fraser will use one.
Of course, the question remains - how many of us will actually get to see The Hateful Eight on 70mm film, since so many theaters only have digital projectors now. THR reports that there are plans to fit 50 U.S. theaters with a projector to show the film on film.
The Hateful Eight is expected to hit theaters later this year.
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cover from Entertainment Weekly