Fans race miles for any 70mm IMAX near Odyssey screens
Finding a 70mm IMAX near you for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is tough: only 41 such screens exist worldwide, New York’s AMC Lincoln Square is sold out for weeks, and Boston-area theaters report weekend sellouts as fans travel hours—or farther—for the film format.
Key Takeaways
- Just 41 IMAX 70mm screens worldwide can show Nolan’s preferred Odyssey format.
- AMC Lincoln Square in New York is sold out for weeks, including 2 a.m. shows.
- Boston-area theaters report weekend sellouts and unusually busy Monday matinees.
- Scalpers list $33 seats from $69 up to $1,200 a pair on eBay.
- Some fans are driving hours—or flying internationally—to catch a screening.
Demand for Christopher Nolan’s nearly three-hour Homeric epic has turned ticket hunting into its own ordeal. For more theater and release alerts, see our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
Where can you find a 70mm IMAX near you?
According to Variety, there are only 41 IMAX 70mm screens on Earth. AMC Lincoln Square 13 is the sole New York City location—and its listed showtimes are sold out through August 12, with overnight 2 a.m. screenings booked through August 2.
Fans shut out of the city are looking farther afield. Variety notes Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester still had IMAX 70mm seats this week, about a six-hour drive from midtown Manhattan.
Others have already logged epic trips of their own. The New York Times reported journeys that include a nearly 300-mile car-bus-train trek from Ocala, Florida, to Fort Lauderdale; a flight from Italy to London’s British Film Institute IMAX; and a 12-hour drive from Brookings, South Dakota, to Regina, Saskatchewan.
Why are Odyssey tickets selling out so fast?
In Greater Boston, Coolidge Corner Theatre sold out its entire weekend of shows—the busiest stretch since the last Nolan film ran there in 70mm, artistic director Mark Anastasio told CBS News. A Monday 70mm matinee still moved roughly 100 tickets, unusual for a typically quiet day.
Alamo Drafthouse in Boston’s Seaport sold 990 tickets on Saturday alone, general manager Vanessa Morales said, even with Sail Boston and World Cup finals nearby. Morales pointed to star power—Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Zendaya, and Tom Holland—and audience fatigue with staying home to stream.
Coolidge technicians run the film across nine reels on two projectors. Anastasio said the larger film frame delivers more detail and texture than a digital file, drawing younger viewers who want to see movies “on film the way that they were meant to be shown.”
Are scalpers targeting desperate Odyssey fans?
Yes. Variety reports New York Reddit users begging for single 70mm seats after being “scammed left and right.” Face-value tickets around $33 have drawn eBay bids from $69 up to $1,200 for a July 22 pair at Lincoln Square.
Moderators on r/NYCmovies ban scalpers and warn users to demand proof, prefer in-person kiosk exchanges, and use PayPal Goods & Services. Still, fake sellers and above-face-value offers keep returning under new accounts.
Bottom line: if a 70mm IMAX near your city is sold out, verify any resale carefully—or plan the longer journey many cinephiles are already making.