Daft Punk’s Interstella 5555 Remastered for Cinematic Re-release, But Fans Are Divided on the Visual Update.
Daft Punk’s Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, the iconic animated musical that premiered nearly 25 years ago, is returning to cinemas worldwide. While the remastered version is garnering significant attention, fan reactions to the updated visuals are mixed, especially following concerns about the use of AI in the remastering process.
A Pioneering Project in Animation and Music
Originally released in 2003, Interstella 5555 was a groundbreaking collaboration between the French electronic duo Daft Punk and legendary anime director Leiji Matsumoto. The film, a dialogue-free visual companion to Daft Punk’s landmark 2001 album Discovery, blends sci-fi animation with house music in a unique “animated house musical” format. The movie follows a group of alien pop stars, The Crescendolls, who are abducted by a villainous music manager and rebranded as Earth’s hottest band.
Though Interstella 5555 received limited releases after its Cannes Film Festival debut, it became a beloved cult classic over time. Its enduring popularity among both Daft Punk fans and anime enthusiasts has led to its remastered re-release, which will screen in over 800 cinemas across more than 40 countries, including Australia, starting today.
A Vision Brought to Life by Daft Punk and Matsumoto
The film’s concept was conceived by Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who collaborated with their creative director Cédric Hervet. The duo was inspired by their childhood admiration for Matsumoto’s anime, particularly Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and approached the famed artist with the idea in 2000. Matsumoto, who passed away last year, embraced the project enthusiastically, and his team at Toei Animation worked on the film’s design and animation.
Despite early criticisms that the film resembled “Saturday morning cartoons,” the unique fusion of anime and music was ahead of its time, especially with its prescient commentary on the music industry’s exploitation of artists and the rise of obsessive celebrity culture. Interstella 5555 remains an example of how anime and music can transcend cultural boundaries and speak to global audiences.
Remastering Challenges and Fan Concerns
The film’s re-release has sparked excitement but also controversy. Some fans are expressing disappointment with the remastered visuals, which were processed using AI technology. Critics argue that the AI-upscaled visuals detract from the film’s original charm, particularly on smaller screens like phones. On Reddit, one fan wrote, “It looks so bad, there’s no way I’d spend money to see this in a theater.” Comparisons between the original and remastered versions show notable differences, with many fans expressing concerns about the loss of the original’s nostalgic, hand-drawn aesthetic.
While Trafalgar Releasing, the UK-based distributor behind the re-release, has stated that the film is “remastered in stunning 4K,” there has been little official clarification regarding the specifics of the remastering process. However, long-time Daft Punk creative director Cédric Hervet, speaking at various Q&A screenings, revealed that the remaster was based on a PAL-converted version of the original film, which had been compromised due to format conversions. Hervet also confirmed that the remaster involved using a specialized AI tool designed for anime to preserve the brush strokes in the animation.
The Cultural Resurgence of Anime and Daft Punk
The decision to bring Interstella 5555 back to cinemas is also reflective of the growing global appreciation for anime and the enduring legacy of Daft Punk. Over the past few years, anime has experienced a surge in popularity, with mainstream streaming platforms like Netflix offering widespread access to classic series and films. The rise of anime’s cultural prominence has made projects like Interstella 5555 more accessible to a new generation of fans, who are eager to discover iconic works of the past.
Kristian Connelly, CEO of Cinema Nova in Melbourne, which is screening the film, notes that the accessibility of anime today is a far cry from its status in the 2000s, when even acclaimed films like Spirited Away were seen as niche. “Anime is having this extraordinary resurgence at the moment,” Connelly says, citing the increasing frequency of anime films being released in cinemas. The remaster’s release benefits from a new generation’s passion for Japanese pop culture, with many viewers now approaching these films with a sense of completionism.
For many, the opportunity to experience Interstella 5555 on the big screen is an exciting event. “It’s a chance to celebrate something that meant a lot to people who loved Daft Punk and anime in the early 2000s,” says Connelly. Despite the controversy surrounding the remaster, the film’s return to cinemas is seen as a significant moment for fans of both Daft Punk and anime.
Whether or not the remastered visuals will live up to the expectations of die-hard fans, the re-release of Interstella 5555 offers a rare opportunity to revisit this landmark project in a new, larger-than-life format. Fans will have the chance to judge for themselves if the remastered visuals enhance or detract from the film’s original magic when it hits cinemas worldwide.
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