Why Nolan fans are crossing oceans to see The Odyssey
DIRECT ANSWER: Christopher Nolan fans are crossing oceans and continents to see The Odyssey in true IMAX 70mm film—the only format Nolan shot entirely for the first time. With just 41 cinemas worldwide equipped to project it, moviegoers searching for imax near options are booking flights to Melbourne or road-tripping across America for the highest-resolution experience Nolan intended.
Key Takeaways
- The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX 1570 cameras.
- Only 41 global cinemas project true IMAX 70mm; 25 are in the U.S.
- Imax Melbourne is the southern hemisphere's only 1570 venue and the world's largest 1.43:1 screen.
- IMAX added 11 film projectors since Oppenheimer, but no new ones have been manufactured in roughly 50 years.
- Digital IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and standard 70mm remain strong alternatives when true IMAX 70mm is not nearby.
Why Are Nolan Fans Traveling So Far to See The Odyssey?
For cinephiles, watching Christopher Nolan's Homer adaptation on anything less than IMAX 1570 film feels like missing the point. The format—named for 70mm film stock and 15 perforations per frame—is the highest-resolution projection available, and Nolan developed soundproofing "blimps" so he could record dialogue on 1570 for the first time.
The epic reel for The Odyssey runs more than 17km and weighs 240kg. Imax Melbourne, the only southern hemisphere cinema with a 1570 print, has sold more than 30,000 tickets before opening—already its eighth-biggest film ever. Fans from Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, and Los Angeles have built holidays around screenings there.
Christian Wächter and Romy Demeter flew from Germany to Melbourne specifically to see the film twice on the world's largest 1.43:1 screen, measuring 32m wide by 23m high. "This is the way you should watch that movie—nothing else makes sense," Wächter told The Guardian.
Why Aren't There More IMAX 70mm Screens?
Demand has never been higher—IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond told Variety some theaters are sold out five weeks out—but supply is frozen. No manufacturer has built new IMAX film projectors in about 50 years, and many original parts no longer exist.
After Hollywood's digital shift in the late 2000s, institutional knowledge of film projection faded. IMAX spent over a year salvaging abandoned projectors, training 60 new projectionists, and rebuilding systems in-house. The effort raised global 1570 locations from 30 for Oppenheimer to 41 for The Odyssey.
Even with more projectors, few auditoriums can house IMAX's towering 1.43:1 screens because of construction costs. "We build new projectors every day, but film projectors using this film—it's just not practical," Gelfond said.
Which Cinema Format Is Best If IMAX 70mm Isn't Near You?
Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema optimized every aspect ratio so critical story information appears regardless of screen type. True IMAX 70mm adds peripheral immersion you cannot replicate at home, but you do not inherently lose the narrative on other formats.
Dual-laser IMAX Digital can present the full 1.43:1 image with cleaner, more reliable projection. Dolby Cinema offers class-leading contrast on 1.85:1 flat screens, though Nolan mixes sound in 5.1 rather than Atmos. Standard 70mm (2.20:1) and premium large-format screens at chains like AMC Prime or Regal RPX also deliver strong theatrical experiences.
For more on where and how to watch major releases, browse our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage. Whichever format you choose, The Odyssey was built for the big screen—not your phone.