We’re coming up on a blockbuster movie weekend with both Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer premiering on Friday, July 21, 2023. However Nolan fans are currently making the rounds online explaining that the “right” way to see Oppenheimer is only supported at select theaters in the US. Lucky for us, the AMC Metreon 16 in San Francisco is one of them!
According to IMAX, there are only 30 theaters in the world supporting IMAX 70mm, 19 of which are in the United States. At these theaters the image will fill the screen vertically “the way director Christopher Nolan intended,” but most other standard theaters will keep the image at the usual 1:9:1 ratio, missing the top and bottom of the image… hence the name “Croppenheimer.”
Not only is San Francisco’s AMC Metreon 16 among the coveted 30 theaters, it features both 1570 (15 perf/70mm film) and DL2 (digital, multiple laser projectors), meaning that the screen will totally fill Nolan’s intended 1:43:1 ratio. If you’re willing to travel a bit, Dublin’s Regal Hacienda Crossings & IMAX is also on the list.
Cinephile and TikToker @umamialex went viral last week explaining the “Croppenheimer” phenomenon, and elaborated that Nolan chose the nostalgic aspect ratio as an ode to similar ratios found on CRTs of the 1940s.
“IMAX film brings images to life,” said Nolan. “From resolution and color to sharpness and overall quality, there is nothing compared to using IMAX film cameras. The IMAX film format is the Gold Standard of motion picture photography.”
To see Oppenheimer at SF’s AMC Metreon 16, make sure to select the IMAX 70mm option. Redditors recommend sitting past Row G to avoid the neck strain. Tickets are going fast so be sure to snag them as soon as you see them — IMAX says they’ll only be screening Oppenheimer on 70mm for a limited time.
Here you can see a list of all Oppenheimer IMAX 70mm showtimes. Alternatively, to forgo the 70mm option but keep the IMAX, you can check this list.
Of course for the vast majority of moviegoers seeing Oppenheimer, the ultimate IMAX experience is simply unavailable, and that’s okay. Nolan shot Oppenheimer with the standard 1:9:1 ratio in mind too and you can still enjoy a great experience at other nearby movie theaters — see some of our favorites here.