How can films be re-released later in a higher resolution?

Question

I can understand how movies can be released at higher resolutions a short time after original release, like a couple years. But I’ve seen some movies get released a whole decade later in *MUCH* higher quality than the original release. Like, how does something released in the 90’s or 2000’s get a 4k UltraHD release now?

In: Technology

Answer 1

Movies used to be shot on film. This was because film grains were much smaller and allowed for much better quality pictures then the pixels in a digital camera. It is only very recently that movies have started shooting digital. So most movies that have every been made have been captured in equal or better quality then modern 4K resolution movies. To release these in 4K you just need to scan the original rolls of film and do some light touch up.