Christopher Nolan’s IMAX 70mm Odyssey: The Battle for Theatrical Cinema
Christopher Nolan's latest project, “The Odyssey,” filmed exclusively in IMAX 70mm, has sparked considerable buzz, with presale tickets for 25 theaters across the U.S. vanishing within an hour, prompting resale prices to soar into the hundreds on platforms like eBay, Reddit, and Discord. Nolan emphasizes that IMAX 70mm delivers the “big-screen experience” he aims for. This development arises amid the growing competition from streaming services, even though IMAX earned over $1 billion last year. Nolan's strategy echoes his previous hits such as “Tenet” (2020) and “Top Gun: Maverick” (2023). Critics, including Chuck Klosterman, warn that the scarcity of IMAX showings could render cinema attendance a luxury. Nolan's commitment to IMAX began with “The Dark Knight” (2008), raising concerns about accessibility versus exclusivity in film viewing.
Key facts
- Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' is the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm.
- Only 25 theaters in the U.S. can project IMAX 70mm.
- Presale tickets for IMAX 70mm screenings sold out within an hour before filming finished.
- Secondary tickets for 'The Odyssey' IMAX 70mm screenings are resold for hundreds of dollars on eBay, Reddit, and Discord.
- Scams have been reported where anonymous users solicit upfront payments for tickets then disappear.
- IMAX company netted over $1 billion in ticket sales last year, its highest ever.
- Overall box office numbers remain below pre-COVID levels.
- Chuck Klosterman expressed skepticism that IMAX 70mm scarcity could create a socioeconomic gap in moviegoing.
Entities
Artists
- Christopher Nolan
- Martin Scorsese
- Francis Ford Coppola
- Tom Cruise
- Julia Roberts
- Chris Evans
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- Michael Bauman
- Chuck Klosterman
Institutions
- Washington Post
- The New Yorker
- IMAX
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- eBay
- Discord
- The Bill Simmons Podcast
- New York Times
Locations
- United States