On This Day

Apocalypse Now released

August 15th 1979

07:46 15 August 2024

Francis Ford Coppola's epic Vietnam war film 'Apocalypse Now' was given a limited first release in North America on this day in 1979. The movie opened in just three theatres that were equipped to play the Dolby Stereo 70 mm prints with stereo surround sound: the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York, the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles and the University Theatre in Toronto.

The film ran for 146 minutes without credits and was shown exclusively in these three venues for four weeks before being released in an additional twelve theatres on October 3rd. Later that month a 35 mm version with credits was released in over 300 theatres. A $9 million advertising campaign brought the total costs of Coppola's movie to $45 million.