Topline
Showings of “The Odyssey” in IMAX 70mm have been extended by one month, maintaining its run in the premium format after screenings of the epic adventure flick sold out seven weeks in advance for some theaters during its initial run.
General views of the TCL Chinese Theatre during opening weekend for the Christopher Nolan film, “The Odyssey.”
Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Key Facts
IMAX 70mm screenings of the movie, which once ran through Aug. 19, have been extended to Sept. 16, according to listings on IMAX’s website.
AMC’s mobile app put users in a digital queue Thursday afternoon as new tickets were released to see “The Odyssey” in IMAX 70mm, a format that offers extremely clear resolution and a massive aspect ratio that fills screens from top to bottom.
Only 25 theaters in the U.S. are capable of showing “The Odyssey” in IMAX 70mm.
Demand for premium screenings of “The Odyssey” have been driven in part by it being the first movie ever entirely shot in IMAX, meaning unlike traditional IMAX movies that switch between large and standard aspect ratios during showings, “The Odyssey” maintains a large aspect ratio for its full duration.
Surprising Facts
Tickets for the earliest screenings of “The Odyssey” went on sale one year before its release on July 17. When the movie arrived this year, some of the IMAX 70mm theaters experienced such high demand they introduced 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. showings.
Big Number
$700 million. That is how much money “The Odyssey” pulled in at the global box office as of Wednesday, doing so after just 12 days in theaters.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
“The End of Oak Street” starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor was the next major IMAX release, though it appears some screenings for the IMAX version have been boxed out by “The Odyssey” at some of the 25 theaters.
Key Background
“The Odyssey” became director Christopher Nolan’s biggest global opening ever, raking in $264.1 million during its first weekend. The movie appears on pace to become Nolan’s highest grossing movie ever, but it would need to beat “Oppenheimer” ($975 million), “The Dark Knight” ($1 billion) and “The Dark Knight Rises” ($1.08 billion) to do so. Nolan, who has championed the IMAX format throughout his career, experienced similar success with “Oppenheimer” in premium formats in 2024, when IMAX extended the biographical thriller’s 70mm showings twice. The movie was a critical success, building a wildly successful Oscar’s campaign—something “The Odyssey” is expected to do once awards season comes around next year.
Further Reading
Who Goes to See ‘The Odyssey’ at 6 a.m.? (New York Times)
