The move follows a pattern being repeated across Asian countries that have tamed the novel coronavirus and have reopened cinemas. Warner Bros. is rereleasing Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy in Hong Kong and Taiwan this summer, including in Imax theaters. Warners also rereleased a 4K remastered version of The Matrix in Hong Kong.
In China, all four of Marvel’s Avengers movies are being rereleased and Hollywood blockbusters Avatar and Warner Bros.’ Nolan films Inception and Interstellar are also getting a second outing on the big screen.
In Japan, Toho Cinemas, the country’s largest multiplex chain, has decided to lean heavily on the classics. Among the titles the company has brought back are Ben-Hur (1959), The Wizard of Oz (1939), East of Eden (1955), Bonnie and Clyde (1969) and Blade Runner (1982). Westside Story (1961) and Rio Bravo (1959) also were playing at several locations, along with other favorites of the 1980s and 90s, like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994).
