Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic The Odyssey
is driving extraordinary demand for analog Imax 70 mm screenings ahead of its July 18, 2026, global release. With only 41 theaters worldwide equipped for the format, moviegoers are traveling hundreds of miles, paying premium ticket prices, and altering personal milestones to secure seats.
Unprecedented Demand and Long-Distance Travel for Imax 70 mm Screenings
The breakout star of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic is not just the star-studded cast featuring Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Tom Holland as Telemachus, but the large-scale analog viewing experience itself. Moviegoers are crisscrossing states and continents to catch the film in its intended format. Mike Rohlfing, a 39-year-old marketer from St. Louis, Missouri, drove approximately 900 miles round trip by minivan with his family to Grand Rapids, Michigan, just to see the Universal film in Imax 70 mm. It’s an incredible format,
Rohlfing told CNBC. It was definitely worth it to me to travel such a long distance.
The extraordinary frenzy has inspired even more drastic measures among dedicated cinephiles. Amber Connaghan, a 29-year-old tech editor living in the California desert, delayed plans to have her second child so her family expansion wouldn’t conflict with the film’s opening window. One of my friends got pregnant last year, and she’s like, ‘OK, it’s time for you to have your second child,’ I was like, ‘No, I have to wait a few months.
Rarity and Economics of a Rolls-Royce Cinema Format
The intense FOMO surrounding the release stems from strict physical limitations. The Odyssey
is the first feature film shot entirely with Imax 70 mm cameras, utilizing a giant 15-perforation-wide horizontal image format with a squarish 1.43:1 aspect ratio. However, only a tiny fraction of cinemas possess the high-cost machinery and massive auditoriums required to project the heavy rolls of film. Out of thousands of screens worldwide, only 25 U.S. theaters and 41 worldwide are equipped to show the Universal release in true Imax 70 mm.
During opening weekend, average screens equipped for 70 mm brought in a massive box-office haul of $153,000. According to EntTelligence data, an adult Imax 70 mm ticket cost an average of $27.77 during opening weekend, running roughly 81% more expensive than standard admission across formats. In regions like Colorado, ticket prices for the premium screenings reached at least $25 at locations such as the Cinemark Carefree Circle in Colorado Springs.
Technical Hurdles, Venue Challenges, and Extended Runs
The high-stakes nature of running vintage-style analog machinery has also produced operational friction. At SIFF Cinema Downtown in Seattle, technical difficulties forced staff to interrupt screenings and switch over to digital projection at four of the 12 screenings since the movie opened on July 16, with organizers warning ticket holders that premium format issues could persist.
Meanwhile, rare analog projection failures also struck Colorado during opening weekend, when both of the state’s Imax 70 mm projectors malfunctioned. By Thursday, July 23, the Regal UA Colorado Center successfully repaired its equipment and resumed selling tickets for its Imax 70 mm screenings.
Venues handling the grueling format report extraordinary reach.
