Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
The official tagline for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming “The Odyssey” adaptation, “Defy the gods,” speaks to the level of ambition that comes with a production of this scale and magnitude. But even outside of the mythological world of Odysseus and his arduous saga in returning from war to see his family again, the release of the blockbuster itself — which remains about nine months away, despite certain tickets already going on sale (and subsequently selling out) — is already big enough to create some serious shockwaves. Once again, Nolan is changing the very essence of the movie industry; this time, by singlehandedly inspiring theater chains to upgrade and accommodate his ideal presentation format.
IMAX 70mm film is back and more popular than ever, baby, and Nolan has every intention of keeping it that way. Recent movies such as “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” have helped draw a fresh wave of awareness and attention to the premium film prints, and we can expect more where that came from when “The Odyssey” finally hits a multiplex near you. Variety reports that audiences in the United States and South America will have more opportunities to see the film exactly as Nolan intends, as Cinemark has partnered up with IMAX to add a few new locations capable of projecting 70mm film. As part of the new agreement, an additional 12 Cinemark theaters will upgrade their preexisting IMAX screens to IMAX with Laser, which received a boost in publicity during the release of Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” in 2023.Â
The new IMAX 70mm locations include Cinemark Seven Bridges in the Woodridge suburb of Chicago, Cinemark Carefree Circle in Colorado Springs, and Cinemark Tinseltown in Rochester — all of which will be fully operational in time for “The Odyssey.”
Christopher Nolan is already changing the industry with The Odyssey, and it hasn’t even released yet
Universal Pictures
If anyone needed some more convincing that Christopher Nolan belongs in the same conversation as industry giants like James Cameron or Peter Jackson, well, here’s even more evidence. Currently, there are only 30 total theaters capable of supporting an IMAX 70mm film print — you know, those giant reels that tend to go viral on social media whenever filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, or Ryan Coogler debut their films on this format. But, not too dissimilar to how Cameron revolutionized 3D prior to the release of 2009’s “Avatar,” Nolan is attempting to do the same with what many cinephiles consider to be the best way to watch films on the big screen.
Chalk this up as the latest in Nolan’s ongoing crusade to save movie theaters. While not quite as far-reaching as fans worldwide would like, this new IMAX initiative represents another step towards ensuring that as many people as possible have the ability to catch a buzzy blockbuster exactly the way the filmmaker intended it to be seen. You’ll notice that none of the new Cinemark locations are in New York City or Los Angeles, allowing a wider range of audiences outside of the two major American movie cities to finally have a chance to experience this for themselves. This trend isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon, either, as Denis Villeneuve prepares to film his trilogy-capper “Dune: Part 3” in IMAX 70mm. If this is the future of film, where more and more moviegoers are aware of and able to enjoy these premium formats, sign us the heck up.
“The Odyssey” comes to theaters, in IMAX 70mm and otherwise, on July 17, 2026.
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