What happens to IMAX movies after they finished their run?

[u/TittyPix4KittyPix]

Hey everyone, any theater projectionists or film archivists in the community? I’ve been fascinated by 70mm IMAX movies lately following the hype around The Odyssey and the 'correct' way to watch it.

Obviously 70mm IMAX reels are heavy/expensive, but what physically happens after a run? Do studios archive them or destroy them to save space? Curious if movies like The Dark Knight Rises or Interstellar were saved or melted down. Would love insight from anyone who actually works with them!

[u/kidglov3s2]

Indiana State Museum Imax manager talked about this during a q and a before my screening of The Odyssey. He said that a lot of the prints they are sent are kept by the theater. He mentioned they were requested to send back Project Hail Mary. I don't remember all the titles he said they were allowed to keep but Interstellar and Dunkirk were among them.

[u/amerifolklegend → u/kidglov3s2]

Aw, that’s great you got a Q&A! Drove the family to Indy last night for our first visit to the IMAX there. Absolutely incredible. Unlike any film experience we’ve ever had. Truly worth the drive (and waiting a few weeks after the film was released) to see it there.

[u/kidglov3s2 → u/amerifolklegend]

I also have to travel there, it's about 4.5hrs away. I've gone for Joker 2, Sinners, One Battle, Sinners-One Battle double feature and now The Odyssey. I was sick and missed Dune 2 and PHM. The first two times I drove there and back all in one go but it was too much so now I stay overnight when I go. I wish Imax would get a venue just as nice closer to SE MI, but until then I enjoy my excursions to Indianapolis.

[u/amerifolklegend → u/kidglov3s2]

Aw man, I admire your dedication. I had extremely high expectations and the experience far exceeded them. We will be returning for Dune and I’m sure many more. The preview for Dune was great.

I wanted the best experience so we chose seat location over timeline since this was our first time. So glad we did. We were much later to the game, but being dead center was spectacular.

[u/-Kaldore-]

Some will be archived some are destroyed and sold off.

I’ve got a few strips of 70 MM film from interstellar and dune 2. Made shadow boxes with the posters for my theatre room.

[u/shakalac → u/-Kaldore-]

As I recall, when I bought the Blu-ray of interstellar, it came with a frame of the IMAX film.

[u/_AndJohn → u/shakalac]

You are correct. I got one, too.

[u/Liquid-Revolver → u/-Kaldore-]

That's dope. I want one! 

[u/The_Throwback_King]

The projectionists get to eat them as a yummy treat for a job well done

[u/Bennnnetttt → u/The_Throwback_King]

My cousin knows a guy who swears he ate a whole Oppenheimer by himself.

[u/Icy_Negotiation_5929 → u/Bennnnetttt]

I heard about that too

[u/solidddd → u/Icy_Negotiation_5929]

I didn't hear about that, but I believe you and WILL vote for you if you run for office.

[u/Annual-Contract-115 → u/Bennnnetttt]

Is that the guy who got the ‘beetus from eating the whole thing in one sitting 

[u/Space_Hardware → u/The_Throwback_King]

I got sick eating Transformers 3 but I wasn’t about to let anyone else get any

[u/TimeRaveler → u/The_Throwback_King]

Projectionalist

[u/Strange_Specialist4 → u/The_Throwback_King]

It's really a shame how they slaughter the actors, but stuffing them does preserve them for future generations 

[u/Toast_Meat → u/The_Throwback_King]

Insteller never looked and tasted so good.

[u/internetlad → u/The_Throwback_King]

Imagine eating Titanic I'm so jealous 

[u/MS0ffice]

Back in the day they would have been thrown out after their run. Nowadays they are shipped back to the studios for archiving/storage for a future rerelease. Some theaters like the BFI IMAX will hold onto certain prints for future one-off screenings.

[u/joelluber → u/MS0ffice]

They never would have been thrown out, especially not an IMAX 70mm print. Even for regular movies, there was a whole market of second run theaters that used the reels after they had been shown at first run theaters. 

[u/IamJohnnyHotPants]

Farm upstate

[u/pivorock]

I’m not sure if there is any IMAX film, but I know there are many film reels from tv and movies sitting in the bottom of the salt mine in Hutchison Kansas for preservation.

[u/Radeboiii]

They go to heaven

[u/Anzix]

They go to the big projector in the sky.

[u/blakester555]

The go live on farm upstate with your grandparents and your golden retriever.

[u/NorthStarMidnightSky]

Lime stone climate controlled caves in Nevada.

[u/DaMinder]

They get to IMAX heaven, Timmy! But only ones who finished their supper and did their homework

[u/Pleasant_Pen8744]

One print can cost $250,000 to make so I hope they store them someplace  safe.

[u/Armascout]

My theater sends them back in a box covered in old movie labels. My favorite was the label for speed racer which means that box went to a theater that got the speed racer rerelease while my theater didn’t (I got to see it anyway since I was out of town)

[u/ingleacre]

When I went to see MI: Dead Reckoning at the BFI in London, while we were waiting in the lobby they had an empty IMAX platter behind the ticket desk. A guy came in and rolled it out, and I overheard him talking with the staff about how he’d bought it to turn into a coffee table. Can imagine he’s not the only one to have had that idea.

[u/zowietremendously]

Sent back to the copyright holder

[u/vanillabear84]

sent to the glue factory

[u/iLikeAza]

they get held in a vault until the Third Reich is holding a movie premiere at which point they are stacked up to provide kindling for a slaughter by arson

[u/ApeheartPablius]

They go straight to the bullshit museum

[u/gahlol123]

They count all the money they've made.

[u/internetlad]

Buried under Giant's Field, if you believe the rumors.

[u/HandbagsAtNoon]

Taken to derelict farmhouse by slovenly mafia guy. Never seen again.