EXCLUSIVE: Seizing an opportunity to take advantage of New Year holiday business, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight will move up by a week the wide release of its 35mm and digital print versions. The film will open wide on New Year’s Day, instead of on January 8 as originally planned by The Weinstein Company. That will add to the screen congestion around the country, but I’m told that it will not alter the “Roadshow” version of the period film, which will go on as planned with 100 70mm prints in theaters around the country. That part of the program begins Christmas Day.

These plans were just set in stone, so it isn’t exactly clear how many screens the pic will open with on January 1, but it will be as many as theater chains can muster. The Hateful Eight will then broaden to even more theaters on the following weekend. The decision was made as the film has begun to play and get strong reaction, and TWC braintrust warmed to the idea that, despite the presence of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and numerous other holiday films, theater owners will figure out ways to make room for the new Tarantino picture. It just seemed too good an opportunity to miss, rather than waiting for the holiday to conclude before opening the film wide.

My sources confirm this plan, and also tell me that the rumors that the Roadshow version won’t play on 100 screens are false.