Each Imax camera is said to cost around $500,000, which leads us to the incredible story of how Christopher Nolan destroyed three of these amazing cameras, totaling a whopping $1,500,000. That's without knowing how well the filming of the hotly anticipated Hollywood blockbuster, Oppenheimer, is going.
So Nolan, in order to remain under the movie's $100 million budget (a small budget compared to what he's previously commanded), even reduced his own directing, writing, and producing fees on “Oppenheimer” so he could maximize what he earned on the back end.
Oppenheimer was filmed in a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film. For the first time ever, sections were filmed in IMAX black and white analogue photography during backwards time shifting in the story.
The movie Oppenheimer, released in 2023 and directed by Christopher Nolan, was shot on film using ARRIFLEX 435 Camera, IMAX MKIII Reflex Camera, IMAX MKIV Reflex Camera, IMAX MSM 9802 Camera, Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio Camera - 65SPFX Camera and Hasselblad Lenses, Panavision Lenses, Panavision Sphero 65 ...
Yet, this revolutionary step in cinema was not without its drawbacks. It was revealed that Christopher Nolan unintentionally destroyed one of the only four existing Imax cameras at that time. Nolan orchestrated the toppling of a truck amidst the bustling city of Chicago.
Each Imax camera is said to cost around $500,000, which leads us to the incredible story of how Christopher Nolan destroyed three of these amazing cameras, totaling a whopping $1,500,000.
Imax was not only a lot bigger than ordinary movies, it had higher resolution. You could lose yourself in those images, which made the format ideal for immersive documentaries like Ring of Fire, The Living Sea, and, later, Blue Planet.
“Oppenheimer” was shot using some of the highest resolution film cameras that exist. Like “Dunkirk ” and “Tenet,” “Oppenheimer” was filmed entirely on large format film stock, meaning a combination of IMAX 65mm and Panavision 65mm (think David Lean/"Lawrence of Arabia"), that's then projected in 70mm.
That's because Knapp wanted to see Christopher Nolan's “Oppenheimer” the way the director intended: in Imax 70mm, a rare format crafted from Nolan's film negative, with physical reels spanning 11 miles and weighing 600 pounds.
Nolan is well known for his innovative use of sound, so I should have been aware going in that the movie would be loud — in the general decibel level of 74-104.
How much did Emily Blunt get paid for Oppenheimer?
According to Variety, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon were all paid $4 million each to star in Oppenheimer. Depending on the project and role, the typical rates for stars of this stature range from $10 million to $20 million.
How much did Christopher Nolan get paid for Oppenheimer?
Was Christopher Nolan paid $100 MILLION for 'Oppenheimer'? 'Oppenheimer', directed by Christopher Nolan, won 7 Oscars at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday, including Best Picture. According to the latest reports, Nolan earned just under $100 million for the film.
Oppenheimer asks Einstein if he recalls when they worried a chain reaction from the bomb might destroy the world; Einstein remembers. “I believe we did,” Oppenheimer replies. Though the exchange came from Nolan's imagination, it really ends the movie with a bang. This article has been updated.
He also brought suntan lotion, which he shared with the others. Ramsey chose zero (a complete dud), Robert Oppenheimer chose 0.3 kilotons of TNT (1.3 TJ), Kistiakowsky 1.4 kilotons of TNT (5.9 TJ), and Bethe chose 8 kilotons of TNT (33 TJ).
Truman did call Oppenheimer a 'crybaby scientist' but not directly or during the depicted event. Events in Oppenheimer film differed slightly from historical reality, adding drama to the scene. Nolan clarified Truman's remark as a response to Oppenheimer expressing guilt post-atomic bombings.
The IMAX film standard uses 70 mm film run through the projector horizontally. This technique produces an area that is about 8.3 times as large as the 35 mm format, and about 3.4 times as large as 70 mm film run through the projector vertically. The desire to increase the visual impact of film has a long history.
Currently, eight 15/70 IMAX film cameras exist, distinct from digital counterparts. In March 2022, IMAX announced that they are developing next generation IMAX film cameras that are more compact, lighter, and quieter.
Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the “father of the atomic bomb.” Nolan and van Hoytema used the IMAX camera to explore the dual landscapes of Los Alamos (where the first atomic bomb was tested) and Oppenheimer's face for a more intimate cinematic spectacle.
However, revolutionizing cinema came with a few drawbacks, as it was revealed that Nolan destroyed one of only four IMAX cameras in existence at the time.
In 1994, investment bankers Gelfond and Bradley Wechsler acquired IMAX Corporation through a leveraged buyout and publicly listed the company on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
