Kodak brought Ektachrome film back in 2018, six years after discontinuing it

Kodak discontinued Ektachrome in 2012 as digital photography crushed film sales. But film photography staged a comeback among enthusiasts, and Kodak's motion-picture business kept Ektachrome-style color reversal chemistry alive for movie stock.

At CES 2017, Kodak Alaris announced it was bringing Ektachrome back. Eighteen months later, on September 25, 2018, Eastman Kodak and Kodak Alaris announced that the new Kodak Professional Ektachrome Film E100 was shipping worldwide in 35mm.

The revival extended the line beyond stills: Kodak Ektachrome 7294 color reversal film in Super 8 began shipping in October 2018, with 16mm to follow, giving filmmakers a new option alongside the still film.

Ektachrome E100 shipped worldwide in 35mm in September 2018, with Super 8 and 16mm versions following — Kodak's first new color reversal film line in years.

The analog film revival created real demand among professionals and enthusiasts.

Kodak could restart Ektachrome because it never stopped making similar film chemistry for cinema.

A heritage name with famous associations carried instant credibility.

The relaunch was phased — announce at CES 2017, ship in late 2018 — managing expectations across 18 months.

A discontinued niche product can return profitably when the market changes: digital-era photographers buy film as a premium, experiential choice, so a heritage brand retains pricing power.

Ektachrome returned to a market where film is a premium craft product rather than a mass commodity. The comeback helped Kodak position its film business as a growth story built on analog nostalgia, and the brand remained in production years later.