10 Years Later, Christopher Nolan's Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Is Finally Getting Its Fair Shot

— Warner Bros./Paramount

There has never been another film like Interstellar — and it’s safe to say there never will be. Director Christopher Nolan, together with his brother Jonathan Nolan, crafted a sci-fi spectacle for the ages. Not only did Interstellar essentially rewrite the book on scientifically-accurate depictions of space and time, but it stuck a firm balance between its epic scope and its characters’ intimate inner lives.

Interstellar is a film about humanity and hope, and one of the first to kick-start a new era of space-faring epics. Its impact cannot be overstated, even if its legacy largely lives on now in the form of out-of-context memes. Ten years ago, Nolan’s magnum opus was a global hit. Sure, its plot was dense and dizzying, and not many understood it. But many came out in droves to see it — and as Interstellar creeps up to its 10-year anniversary, many will have the opportunity to catch it on the big screen again.

Paramount Pictures, who produced Interstellar alongside Warner Bros., announced the film’s theatrical re-release at CinemaCon 2024. Interstellar returns to theaters on September 27, and will be screened in 70mm IMAX — Nolan’s preferred format — as well as on digital screens.

Interstellar follows a group of astronauts tasked with finding a new planet for humans to colonize. Climate change has ravaged the earth, and while few believe that a suitable replacement exists, former NASA test pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) isn’t ready to give up just yet. Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, and Matt Damon co-star in this trippy, time-traversing epic, each turning in raw, affecting performances that only elevate this film.

Shockingly, Interstellar didn’t garner much awards-season acclaim (it was snubbed for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and more at the Academy Awards) but it did clean up well at the box office. Back when it first premiered in 2014, Nolan encouraged audiences to catch the film in 70mm IMAX… and audiences listened. Interstellar was sold out in IMAX for weeks, setting a worldwide opening record and becoming the fourth film to gross over $100 million worldwide from IMAX sales alone. Its record has since been surpassed by 2023’s Avatar: The Way of Water and Nolan’s latest epic, Oppenheimer — but Interstellar’s return to IMAX could put it back on the map in a major way.

It may be too late to get the critical acknowledgement it deserved 10 years ago, but it’ll be nice to see Interstellar get the reappraisal it deserves. There’s every chance that it could set some more records… or, at the very least, reach a new audience.

Interstella returns to theaters on September 27.