Imax 70 mm draws fans to Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" is giving Imax 70 mm screenings an outsized role at the box office as fans chase a rare way to see the film. The release has turned the premium format into one of the main attractions around the movie, not just a side option.

Scarcity is driving demand

Some viewers are treating the screenings like an event worth traveling for. One moviegoer drove roughly 900 miles round trip with his family to reach a theater offering the format, underscoring how limited the experience has become. The draw is not simply the film itself, but the combination of scarcity and spectacle that comes with the large-format presentation.

The premium also shows up in the price. An adult Imax 70 mm ticket for opening weekend cost $27.77 on average, according to EntTelligence, which was 81% higher than the average admission price across formats. That gap helps explain why these screenings are generating so much attention from both audiences and the industry.

Imax chief executive Richard Gelfond said on a conference call that the format has become one of the hottest tickets in the world. He said fans were traveling across countries, and in some cases continents, to see Nolan’s film in 70 mm. The comments highlight how a niche format can become a box-office engine when supply is limited and demand is concentrated.

A premium format with premium economics

The appeal of Imax 70 mm rests on more than novelty. Nolan has long been associated with large-format film, and his audience appears willing to pay for what it sees as a more immersive presentation. That has helped turn the format into a destination for film fans looking for a specific viewing experience rather than a standard theatrical outing.

Early results suggest the strategy is working. Gelfond said an average theater equipped for 70 mm generated a box-office take of $153,000 over opening weekend, which he described as massive. That kind of performance indicates that the format can punch far above its footprint when a film is well matched to it.

For theaters, the trend points to the revenue potential of premium large formats, which usually carry higher ticket prices than standard screens. For Imax, it reinforces the value of scarce supply in a market where consumers are willing to pay more for a limited and highly differentiated experience. In that sense, the strongest supporting act for "The Odyssey" may be the format itself.