Christopher Nolan has turned a film format into a status symbol.
20+ years ago, cinemas would show films in 70mm, 6-track Dolby, THX sound, DTS, Dolby Digital, and SDDS. There was no status attached to seeing films in these formats. The cinemas did not charge more to see the films that way.
It was similar when 70mm, CinemaScope, Cinerama, 3D, and VistaVision were launched in the 1950s and 1960s. They were exciting new formats, but they were not status symbols. They were just how you saw a film.
But since the 3D revival in 2009, it has all come with a surcharge.
A Personal Memory: The Odeon Marble Arch
In the 1980s and 1990s, I would regularly go to the Odeon Marble Arch. It was far from the West End, but it had the biggest screen in Europe. They would regularly show films in 70mm. Their prices were the same as the Cannon Bayswater a few miles away.
I saw many classic films there for the first time, decades after they opened. Spartacus. Lawrence of Arabia. Films that were meant to be seen on a big screen, in 70mm.
I remember seeing Return of the Jedi there about a decade after it opened. The only version I had seen over those years was a poor pirate Betamax copy that missed the 20-minute battle scene at the end. Seeing it on that screen, in 70mm, was a revelation. It was not just a film, it was an experience,.
It was similar to 20th Century Fox’s incredible trailer to promote the 25th anniversary of Star Wars in 1997. The message was: if you have only seen it on the small screen, you have never really seen it at all. This is cinema. And this is what has been missing with digital.
70mm should not be for the elite. It should be for me too, being paid £4,000 a year in 1989, but could still afford to see films in Leicester Square cinemas every week and did that throughout the 90s, but over the last 20 years could only afford to do it a couple of times a year.
There was nothing elite about it. It was just how you saw a film. The same price as any other cinema. The same experience—just better.
There was nothing elite about it. It was just how you saw a film. The same price as any other cinema. The same experience—just better.
That is not how it works anymore.
The Pre-Digital Era: A Common, Affordable Experience
For decades, 70mm was a widely available premium format. It was not exclusive. It was not a status symbol. It was just how you saw a big film.
| Format | Era | Status | Cost to Consumer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70mm | 1950s-1970s | Gold standard, but widely accessible | Standard ticket price |
| CinemaScope | 1950s-1960s | Widescreen revolution | Standard ticket price |
| Cinerama | 1950s-1960s | Immersive spectacle | Standard ticket price |
| VistaVision | 1950s-1960s | High-resolution format | Standard ticket price |
| Dolby Stereo / THX | 1970s-1990s | Audio enhancements | Standard ticket price |
| DTS / SDDS | 1990s-2000s | Digital audio | Standard ticket price |
There was no status attached to seeing films in these formats. The cinemas did not charge more. The cost of the technology was absorbed by studios and exhibitors as an investment in the future of cinema.
The Turning Point: 3D’s Surcharge
The change began with the revival of 3D in 2009, fuelled by the enormous success of Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. This was the moment the “surcharge” became standard practice.
| Era | Format | Ticket Premium | Reason for Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-2009 | 70mm, CinemaScope, THX, DTS | None | Investment in the future |
| 2009-Present | 3D, PLF (IMAX, RPX, XD) | $3-$10+ surcharge | Cost of technology, revenue opportunity |
Exhibitors and studios realised they could charge a premium for the “event” experience. In 2010, some U.S. theatre chains raised 3D and 3D IMAX ticket prices by as much as 26% in some locations. The cost was passed directly to the consumer and became a significant new revenue stream.
The Digital Switch: A Short-Sighted Decision
When digital projection was introduced, it was sold as a cost-saving measure. It was supposed to lower ticket prices and improve quality.
| What Exhibitors Did | What They Should Have Done |
|---|---|
| Removed all 70mm and 35mm projectors | Kept 70mm projectors already installed |
| Chased cost savings | Preserved the unique cinema experience |
| Assumed digital was better | Recognised that film and digital offer different experiences |
Cinemas should have kept 70mm projectors and a few 35mm projectors. There were still hundreds of films available in those formats. They would have given cinemagoers a different experience—a unique experience that could not be replicated at home.
Exhibitors were not thinking about their customers. They were thinking that removing film projectors would save them money while they could get customers to pay more for digital.
The Nostalgia Opportunity
With all the nostalgia in the films that have been made since, there would also be nostalgia for the formats in which they were originally seen.
| What They Missed | The Opportunity |
|---|---|
| 70mm screenings of classic films | Audiences would have loved to see them again |
| 35mm screenings of older films | A unique cinema experience |
| Film festivals and retrospectives | A different kind of event |
| A distinct cinema experience | Something home viewing could not replicate |
The industry had an opportunity to offer something unique. They chose not to.
The 70mm Resurgence: The Final Step to “Elite” Status
The recent 70mm revival, led by directors like Christopher Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Quentin Tarantino, completed the transformation. 70mm went from a widely available, affordable premium format to a rare, expensive, and elite status symbol.
Nolan’s use of 70mm IMAX cameras and his passionate advocacy for the format reinforced the message that a 70mm IMAX screening is the only true way to see the film. Because only a handful of cinemas can project true 70mm IMAX, and tickets sell for up to $51.75, this created scarcity and exclusivity.
| What Nolan Has Done | The Result |
|---|---|
| Sold IMAX as the only real way to see the film | Made the standard experience feel inferior |
| Limited 70mm IMAX to a handful of cinemas | Created scarcity and exclusivity |
| Charged £25+ for the “true” experience | Made cinema expensive and elitist |
| Created a two-tier system | The elite see it “as intended”; everyone else gets the compromise |
The Nolanite Hierarchy
The Nolanite hierarchy demands a tiered system of exclusivity. Those who booked a year ago would absolutely look down on those who only booked six weeks before opening.
| Tier | Booking Time | Status | Proof of Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | A year in advance | The elite of the elite | Special box, limited edition |
| Tier 2 | When tickets first went on sale | The committed | Standard IMAX box |
| Tier 3 | Six weeks before opening | The latecomers | Generic popcorn box |
| Tier 4 | On the day | The plebs | No box, just a ticket |
There should have been a special box for those who booked a year ago. They are the most elite members of the Nolanites. They booked a year ago. They were the first. They are the true believers.
The Consequence
| What They Lost | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| The ability to show 70mm films | They created a scarcity |
| The ability to offer a unique experience | They made the standard experience feel inferior |
| The ability to capitalise on nostalgia | They missed an opportunity |
| The ability to keep film projection alive | They made it an elite event |
It was a short-sighted decision. It has come back to bite them. Had there been more 70mm screens, they could have taken even more money from films like The Odyssey. Instead, they are scrambling to reinstall projectors they removed.
The Irony
The irony is that audiences are embracing 70mm so much because they highlight the failure of digital. Digital was supposed to be superior. It was supposed to be the future. But the fact that a 70mm print can still look better than a digital image in a cinema proves that the industry made a mistake.
Nolan is not giving audiences a new experience. He is giving them the experience they used to have. And the fact that people embrace it so much highlights the failure of digital.