Epic Film Marathons: The Longest Cinema Releases Ever

Over the past few years, the local cinema scene has copped a fair hit, with numbers dropping by about 30% since 2019. The rise of streaming platforms and the ever-increasing cost of living have meant fewer punters are heading out for a night at the pictures. Still, when it comes to settling in for a truly lengthy film, nothing beats the comfort of a plush cinema seat and a massive tub of popcorn. That’s something the streaming giants just don’t seem to get.

Take, for example, the comments from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who once claimed that the double feature of Barbie and Oppenheimer in 2023 would have been just as much of a hit if it had gone straight to streaming. He told the New York Times,

“There’s no reason to believe that the movie itself is better in any size of screen for all people,”

before adding,

“My son’s an editor, he watched Lawrence of Arabia on his phone.”

It’s hard not to laugh at the idea that one of the most sweeping, grand-scale films ever made could be just as good on a mobile as it is in a proper cinema. Lawrence of Arabia clocks in at over three and a half hours, with some versions running even longer. Watching that epic on a phone, or worse, in bits and pieces like a TV series, seems to miss the whole point.

Why the Big Screen Matters for Long Films

The magic of the cinema is that it demands your attention. There’s no pausing to check your phone or duck out for a cuppa—unless there’s an intermission, you’re in it for the long haul. That’s especially true for films that stretch well past the three-hour mark. Sure, a quick 90-minute flick is fine for the telly at home, but if you’re in for a marathon, the cinema is the only place to do it justice.

Long features are designed to be immersive, pulling you into their world without the distractions of home. The experience is about more than just watching; it’s about being part of something bigger, surrounded by others who are just as keen to see it through to the end.

Record-Breaking Runtimes: From Classics to Modern Epics

So, which film holds the title for the longest ever shown in cinemas? There have been some truly outrageous contenders over the years. Andy Warhol’s Empire, for instance, is simply a static shot of the Empire State Building that runs for more than eight hours. Then there’s Logistics, a conceptual piece about the production of a pedometer, which goes for a staggering 35 days. But let’s be honest—no one’s sitting through all of that in a cinema, so they’re more art installations than traditional films.

Looking at films that actually expect an audience to stick around, there have been a few recent standouts. The Brutalist made waves in 2025, partly thanks to its hefty runtime and a built-in intermission. Some critics even wondered if director Brady Corbett was kicking off a new trend, bringing back the kind of epic features that make you feel like you’ve really got your money’s worth.

The All-Time Longest Theatrical Release

Most of the true marathon films date back decades. Gone with the Wind, for example, is not only a classic but also nearly four hours long. Cleopatra, released in 1963, pushed things even further with a runtime of four hours and eight minutes. But the record for the longest film ever released in cinemas goes to Gettysburg, which hit screens in 1993 and kept audiences glued to their seats for four hours and 14 minutes—254 minutes in total. Like The Brutalist, Gettysburg included an intermission, giving viewers a chance to stretch their legs, grab more snacks, or, if they’d had enough, make a quiet exit. The break made the epic length a bit more manageable, but it was still a serious test of endurance for even the keenest film fans.