Paramount and Warner Bros top brass said Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi will open on November 5 on 70mm Imax, 70mm and 35mm formats – two days ahead of the conventional release.

The advance showings will play in select theatres in 240 locations across the US and Canada, of which 41 are understood to be Imax venues. Paramount releases the film in North America and Warner Bros handles international distribution.

“To see Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar on the big screen is an unforgettable movie going experience,” said Paramount vice-chairman Rob Moore.

“From Imax to traditional film and digital projection, we are pleased that audiences will have the opportunity to see this awe-inspiring film in a wide variety of formats and we are very excited to be making the film available two days early for moviegoers.”

Nolan shot the film using a combination of 35mm anamorphic film and 65mm Imax film to maximise clarity.

Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow and Michael Caine star.

The development demonstrates Nolan’s influence in Hollywood: his passion for celluloid in the face of digital conversion would have played a big part in securing the advance special format launch of Interstellar in select theatres.

It also reminds the industry of the growing might of Imax as a distribution platform. Earlier this week it emerged that The Weinstein Company’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel will open in simultaneous exclusive windows on Imax and via Netflix on August 28, 2015.