There are only a limited number of theaters showing “The Odyssey” in director Christopher Nolan’s preferred format. Here it is.
Anne Hathaway recalls the moment she was sleep deprived on set of ‘The Odyssey’
Anne Hathaway of ‘The Odyssey’ recalls the moment she lost sleep after blanking out lines on set, and how Christopher Nolan nailed it.
Seeing Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in the director’s preferred format may require a quest as arduous as Odysseus’ journey home.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker’s film is best viewed in 70mm IMAX, allowing moviegoers to soak up the spectacular visuals of this epic film on a giant screen. However, participating in these reviews is easier said than done. There are only a limited number of theaters in the United States that can technically show movies in 70mm IMAX, and even if you can get to one, tickets can be difficult to get.
The movie hits theaters on July 17th, but here’s what you need to know about watching The Odyssey in 70mm IMAX and other premium formats available.
What is 70mm IMAX?
In the simplest terms, 70mm IMAX is a way to see “The Odyssey” in both the highest resolution and largest screen possible.
The standard film strip is 35 mm, so 70 mm film is physically larger and provides a higher resolution image. Showing a movie in IMAX gives you a more enlarged image. So when you watch The Odyssey in 70mm IMAX, you see more frames than you would in a regular theater, and the image itself looks better.
Director Nolan recommends seeing “The Odyssey” in this way, but it can be difficult to secure a seat, especially on the first day of release. Tickets were in such high demand that 70mm IMAX screenings went on sale in July 2025, one year before the film’s release. New York City’s famous Lincoln Square IMAX theater is sold out even for 3 a.m. screenings.
What’s special about seeing The Odyssey in 70mm IMAX?
Director Nolan has previously shown his films in 70mm IMAX, including his latest film, “Oppenheimer.” But The Odyssey was a historic first for Nolan and for cinema in general, being the first narrative film to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras.
IMAX cameras are loud, bulky, and expensive, so movies typically shoot only selected sequences in IMAX. It was difficult to film the dialogue in this format because the camera noise was so loud. That’s why most movies have only used IMAX cameras for big action sequences.
However, for “The Odyssey,” Nolan solved this problem by placing the camera inside an enclosure called an “blimp” to reduce noise, allowing him to shoot both action and dialogue scenes for IMAX and maintain an extended frame throughout the film.
Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway reveal behind-the-scenes footage of ‘The Odyssey’
Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway reveal the funniest behind-the-scenes stories from The Odyssey, from forgotten lines to Christopher Nolan’s style.
video team entertainment
Where can I watch “The Odyssey” in 70mm IMAX?
According to IMAX, The Odyssey will be shown in 70mm IMAX at the following locations in the United States:
arizona
Harkins Arizona Mills & IMAX – Tempe
California
Regal Hacienda Crossing and IMAX – Dublin
TCL Chinese Theater IMAX – Hollywood
Regal Irvine Spectrum + IMAX – Irvine
Regal LA Live & IMAX – Los Angeles
Regal Edwards Ontario Palace & IMAX – Ontario
Esquire IMAX – Sacramento
AMC Metreon 16 & IMAX − San Francisco
Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood & IMAX − Universal City
colorado
Cinemark Carefree Circle & IMAX – Colorado Springs
Regal Colorado Center 9 & IMAX – Denver
florida
AutoNation IMAX, Museum of Discovery and Science – Fort Lauderdale
georgia
Georgia Regal Mall & IMAX − Buford
illinois
Cinemark Seven Bridges & IMAX – Woodridge
Indiana
IMAX Theater at Indiana State Museum – Indianapolis
Michigan
Celebration! Cinema Grand Rapids North & IMAX − Grand Rapids
nevada
Brenden Palms 14 & IMAX – Las Vegas
new york
AMC Lincoln Square 13 & IMAX − New York
Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester & IMAX – Rochester
pennsylvania
Regal UA King of Prussia & IMAX − King of Prussia
rhode island
Apple Cinema Providence Place & IMAX – Providence
tennessee
IMAX, Tennessee Aquarium – Chattanooga
Regal Opry Mills & IMAX – Nashville
texas
Cinemark Dallas & IMAX – Dallas
AMC Rivercenter 11 & IMAX − San Antonio
What other premium formats is The Odyssey available in?
If you can’t attend an IMAX 70mm screening, there are several other premium format options that are the next best thing.
One is standard IMAX, which offers larger screens and more enhanced images than regular theaters. According to the film’s official website, you won’t get the 70mm film experience, but the footage will “fill the entire field of view of the floor-to-ceiling screen.”
“The Odyssey” will also be available on non-IMAX 70mm film in some locations. This format gives you a high-resolution image, but it doesn’t give you the full portrait image available in IMAX.
Dolby Cinema is another option that provides a sharper image and is more widely available than 70mm. “What’s really interesting about Dolby Vision is that you see very high contrast ratios: incredible blacks, very high, peak whites, peak brightness,” Nolan explained to Letterboxd, noting that the nighttime storm scenes in the film look great in the format.
You can use this page on the movie’s website to see a helpful comparison of how “The Odyssey” images change based on format.
Contributor: Patrick Ryan
