Kodak Was Left for Dead but Christopher Nolan and Gen Z Are Helping Rewrite the Ending

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nearly printed its own obituary — twice. After a 2012 bankruptcy and a going concern warning last year tied to heavy debt and tight liquidity, CEO Jim Continenza has spent seven years rebuilding the company. His unlikely weapon? The same film business Kodak nearly shut down in 2019 — a move halted only after Christopher Nolan stepped in and flagged how critical film still was for major productions.

• Kodak’s Q4 gross profit reached $67M (+31% YoY) while annual interest expense dropped ~$40M, a clear turnaround from the prior year’s 12% profit decline.
• The stock is up ~100% over the past year, driven by $400M+ in debt reduction, a major leadership reset, and renewed demand for film seen in 2026 Oscar-winning projects.

Picturing victory: Continenza’s “turnaround specialist” playbook of multiple refinancings, a terminated pension plan, and a reworked balance sheet has helped steady Kodak. But the story now shifts to execution. He’s realistic about the ceiling, acknowledging that “brand recognition” will have to do much of the heavy lifting. The company is still small, still carries debt, and is leaning on a niche film revival that depends on cultural demand holding up. Kodak got a second shot — now it has to make it count.