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

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.”