The Odyssey beats Last Jedi for BFI IMAX U.K. record
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has set a new BFI Imax three-day opening record in London, grossing £219,867 and edging past Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The 8216the odyssey8217 opening weekend haul also tops Oppenheimer at the U.K.'s largest single-screen Imax, underscoring huge demand for Nolan's Imax 70mm epic.
Key Takeaways
- The Odyssey posted a £219,867 ($300,000) three-day gross at London's BFI Imax, beating The Last Jedi's prior record.
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi previously held the mark at £216,454; Oppenheimer opened with £207,677.
- Pre-sales hit 28,000 tickets in 24 hours a year ahead, worth £750,000—above Dune: Part Two and Oppenheimer.
- The run has logged more than 82,000 admissions and 173 sold-out Imax 70mm shows over eight weeks.
According to Variety, Odysseus has effectively stolen Luke Skywalker's crown at the central London venue. Nolan's big-screen epic is now first for the highest-ever three-day gross at the BFI Imax theater.
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How much did The Odyssey make at BFI IMAX?
The film's opening weekend at the BFI Imax clocked in at £219,867, or about $300,000. That narrowly topped the £216,454 three-day opening once held by Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Nolan's 2023 hit Oppenheimer sits just behind those two titles with a £207,677 three-day opening at the same theater. The margins are tight, but the new champ is clear.
How does the opening compare with other blockbusters?
Beyond the three-day crown, The Odyssey already shattered the theater's single-day pre-sale record. It sold 28,000 tickets in 24 hours a full year in advance, generating £750,000 in gross revenue.
That pre-sale haul surpassed Dune: Part Two (£366,000) and Oppenheimer (£254,000) in their first 24 hours on sale. Demand was not a one-weekend spike.
So far, the BFI Imax has sold more than 82,000 admissions for the film. That equals 173 consecutive sold-out Imax 70mm screenings over eight weeks and a £2,169,882 total gross—already the theater's third-highest grossing film ever.
Why is the BFI IMAX screening such a big deal?
The BFI Imax has only one screen. At 20 metres (65 feet) tall and 26 metres (85 feet) wide, it is the largest in the U.K., with a 493-seat capacity.
It is also one of only three Imax cinemas in the U.K. that can show the film in Imax 70mm, as Nolan intended. The theater has reported fans travelling from as far as Singapore, Los Angeles, and Toronto to see the movie.
BFI Imax programme manager Madeleine Mullett said the extraordinary demand for the Imax 70mm presentation—experienced as intended by the filmmakers—proves audiences still want cinema at its most authentic, alongside the BFI's commitment to celluloid.
In short, the 8216the odyssey8217 opening weekend did more than nudge a Star Wars record. It confirmed that premium large-format film still draws global crowds when the presentation matches the filmmaker's vision.