'Oppenheimer': R Rating, 11 Miles And 600 Pounds Of Film

Cillian Murphy in an IMAX still from Oppenheimer. Courtesy of Universal Pictures/IMAX.

600 Pounds Of Film

When we think of seeing movies on “the big screen,” we rarely think about how big that screen can be, and in the case of Oppenheimer, it’s pretty big. The film, shot in 65mm and 65mm IMAX film, is set to open in a number of formats across the world and in 31 theaters; one of those formats will be 70mm IMAX film. 25 of those theaters are in the US, with 6 others worldwide.

In those 31 theaters, the film will be projected on 70mm IMAX film, a medium that has the digital equivalent of a resolution of ~18K (compared to the 2K/4K that most movies are screened in). The film (essentially three normal 70mm cells combined to form one image) is run horizontally instead of vertically, giving the frame an aspect ratio of 1.43:1. For reference, most films screened nowadays are shown in either anamorphic (2.39:1) or standard IMAX (1.90:1). For Oppenheimer, the singular one-track prints that the film will be screened in contain 11 miles of celluloid film (when fully laid out) and weigh over 600 pounds, according to the AP.

Cillian Murphy on set of Oppenheimer. Courtesy of Universal Pictures/IMAX.

Nolan And R Ratings

On June 1, The MPA gave Oppenheimer an R Rating, the third in Nolan’s filmography and his first in 20 years. Nolan’s first two films, Memento and Insomnia, were both rated R, but everything else from him — including a war movie and some very brutal Batman films — have been confined to the PG-13 zone. It doesn’t seem like the studio is going to challenge the rating as a TV spot with the rating on a title card. The MPA statement assigned the rating for “sexuality, nudity, and language.”

Oppenheimer is releasing in theaters in all premium formats including 35mm, 70mm, IMAX 70mm, and Dolby Cinema, on July 21.

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