Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is getting an early digital release to meet demand according to The Weinstein Company. The Samuel L. Jackson-starring ensemble film will be widely released to 1,958 theaters tomorrow December 30, two days earlier than anticipated according to The Wrap. “While we are beyond thrilled with the limited release numbers, the demand from moviegoers to see this film has exceeded our capabilities in 70mm,” said TWC exec Erik Lomis in a statement.
The Western was released on Christmas Day as a 70mm “Roadshow” in 100 theaters in 44 cities, the largest 70mm release in 20 years. The Weinstein Company retrofitted many of the theaters with old projectors to show the film in its intended analog format. The limited release did well at the box office, selling $4.6 million in tickets according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While there were some technical difficulties with the projectors, reports indicate that most showings went off without too many problems. “Many of the hiccups were during the first few showings, when theaters were still getting used to the new/old equipment,” explained The Hollywood Reporter. An informal Twitter poll from Indiewire’s Sam Adams showed that 72 percent of viewers saw the film projected properly.
If you've seen The Hateful Eight in 70mm during its commercial run, was it properly projected?
— Sam Adams (@SamuelAAdams) December 28, 2015
Theaters currently showing the film in its 70mm format will continue screenings, which isn’t surprising considering its per-screen average of $46,107 over Christmas weekend. “We were expecting about a $35K PTA this weekend, so this shows a tremendous response to the film and Quentin Tarantino,” explained Lomis in a statement.
The Hateful Eight follows the stagecoach journey of a bounty hunter (Kurt Russell), his fugitive (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a soldier-turned-bounty hunter (Jackson), and a southern renegade (Walton Goggins). Tim Roth, Demian Bichir, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and others also appear in the ensemble cast.
