Matthew McConaughey Talks About The Legacy Of Interstaller, “Second Gear Kicked In Even Better Than The First Gear..”

Even a decade after its release, fans can’t get enough of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, and Matthew McConaughey shares why.

By
Piyush Yadav
- March 11, 2025 | 2:47 PM IST
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Matthew McConaughey’s career spans decades, but few roles define his legacy as powerfully as Cooper in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. Released in 2014, the mind-bending sci-fi epic followed a team of astronauts searching for a new habitable planet as Earth was slowly succumbing to environmental collapse. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast, including Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Matt Damon, Interstellar blended emotional storytelling with scientifically grounded spectacle, earning critical and commercial success.

Interstellar has only grown in stature over time. In 2024, the film celebrated its 10th anniversary with a limited IMAX re-release, drawing audiences back to theaters and setting a new record for the highest-grossing IMAX re-release. The resurgence continued when Interstellar landed on Netflix. Reflecting on this renewed popularity, McConaughey recently shared his thoughts at SXSW, revealing how more people now approach him about Interstellar than when it first hit theaters.

Matthew McConaughay believes Interstellar has become more important to fans now than it did upon its release

During a recent interview at SXSW, McConaughey addressed Interstellar’s growing influence, noting how the film has taken on a new cultural significance over a decade after its release. “I have more people in this last year, I think with the IMAX re-release, come up to me than after the release 10 years ago,” McConaughey said. “People come up now that go, ‘Interstellar, that’s my movie. It changed my life. Here’s why.’ I say, ‘How many times have you seen it?’ Most of them say four.”

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This ability to resonate more deeply over time is a rare feat in Hollywood. While some films fade into obscurity, Interstellar continues to gain meaning with each rewatch, with audiences discovering new layers of emotion, philosophy, and scientific accuracy that may not have been apparent during their first viewing.

For McConaughey, witnessing Interstellar’s resurgence has been a unique experience. “It’s almost like a sequel, but it’s not a sequel,” he reflected. “And now there’s Interstellar having this kind of success 10 years later, and having this kind of understanding being part of the vernacular culture.” With more fans embracing its message and depth, Interstellar has cemented itself as one of the defining sci-fi films of the 21st century. “To have so many people come up and go, “That’s my favorite film,” it does feel like second gear kicked in even better than the first gear did,” McConaughey concluded.

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