Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been the talk of the town, from its stellar (somehow controversial) cast to Zendaya’s red carpet looks, landing it on the front page of the press for weeks. But it’s the film itself (the literal film it’s shot on) that’s become the movie’s strongest and most controversial marketing ploy.
Nolan chose to shoot his odyssey (get it) on IMAX 70mm film, a first-of-its-kind feat and a dream of his since he was 16, which required IMAX to retrofit specific projectors in order to show the film.
The results? Only 41 cinemas worldwide can show the intended IMAX 70mm; 25 of those are in North America, and lucky old Melbourne has the only one in the southern hemisphere.
Fan reactions are divided, with some travelling days to see the film in all its glory while others are calling out the disadvantage as a class divide. So, is it worth the film it’s shot on, and what does this mean for accessibility in our movie industry?
The Odyssey in IMAX vs. regular screens.
— ︎ ︎venom (@venom1s) July 17, 2026
So much of the film is lost on a regular screen.
Nolan did a disservice to the majority of viewers who don't have access to IMAX. pic.twitter.com/Mear5YNIfe
I finally saw the Odyssey and walked out thinking “How is Christopher Nolan so much better at making movies than everyone else?”
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) July 22, 2026
What is IMAX 70mm?
IMAX 70mm is larger than regular 35mm film and runs sideways through the projector, rather than the traditional vertical. Thanks to the larger size, each frame captures more detail while shooting, making for larger, more textured, visually captivating shots.
To shoot with this kind of film, you need a specific camera, and it’s huge. Speaking to Letterboxd, Nolan compared these cameras to the bulky cameras from the 1920s. They’re intensely loud, requiring additional boxes around them to help silence them and earning commentary from Matt Damon that they were so loud, it was like having a “blender in your face“.
Shooting with these sorts of cameras is cumbersome. Nolan had used them at points during wide shots or action scenes on The Dark Knight, Interstellar and Oppenheimer. But it wasn’t until he could master the quieter dialogue and intimate scenes necessary for The Odyssey that he was able to realise his dream of shooting an entire movie using this format.
Why can’t cinemas show it?
Not every cinema has a 70mm projector. In fact, IMAX had to create the projectors that could show this film as intended.
IMAX chief executive Richard Gelfond told Variety that demand isn’t the issue; it’s outdated technology. “The problem is they haven’t made new IMAX film projectors in about 50 years,” he said. “So we retrofit them, rebuild them and part of our strategy is to see how far we can take it.”
It’s a comment that landed poorly with many punters, as sentiment against the exclusivity of the format seems to be rising.
They don't want to build new ones because they want to keep it exclusive.
— burralamp 🇦🇺 (@burralamp) July 15, 2026
It feels like he’s saying “we can’t make new ones because we don’t remember how”
— Æsthetic Accelerationism 𝕏 (@StevenGoyette) July 15, 2026
Of course, you likely do still have an IMAX cinema near you, as there are more than 2,000 worldwide. It just may have an aspect ratio of 1.90:1 instead of the preferred 1.43:1. Those just sound like numbers to me, but to the movie purists they seem to hold a lot of weight.
How are audiences reacting to Christopher Nolan using IMAX 70mm?
It’s safe to say people are loving it. It’s got 94 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and made $264M USD (approx. AUD $377M) at the worldwide box office, beating Nolan’s previous record of $249M USD for The Dark Knight Rises. Large screen cinema’s are sold out and are offering six am sessions (which, would you believe, people are actually getting tickets to). It seems there’s no limit to audiences’ excitement for this film.
@qviews1 How are you witnessing The Odyssey? #movietheater #dolbyatmos #imax70mm #imax #movie
♬ original sound – Quentin
However, for many, this has brought up a conversation of equality and access.
Of the 41 that exist, none are based in the Middle East and the vast majority are found in North America. For anyone not living near one or unable to afford the more expensive ticket, they may have smaller screens cutting off the top and bottom of the movie or a lower aspect ratio, a notion which is not sitting well with movie fans.
The Odyssey in regular 35mm vs. IMAX 70mm 😭
— Cinema Rhymes 🎬 (@CinemaRhymes) July 15, 2026
This isn’t fair 💔… Only a few people will get to experience Nolan’s true vision. pic.twitter.com/gVOg6oqGeh
The Odyssey is a movie where poor people literally see less pic.twitter.com/Yy6LNymGpY
— Arkav (@arkavx) July 15, 2026
A growing number have even taken to watching the film on the smallest screen imaginable; a somewhat spiteful move to rally against big cinema.
@labrayance ♬ original sound – amysdiary
@relaxingreality360 The Odyssey on an Apple Watch, the way Christopher Nolan intended #theodyssey #applewatch #ChristopherNolan #imax #cinema
♬ original sound – TJ | Relaxing Reality
Is this all one neat marketing ploy?
When have you ever heard about a film type this much?
If you were in doubt that this film choice was getting a heavy marketing push, they’ve even created an IMAX camera popcorn bucket — a commercialising spot usually reserved for lead actors or characters, rather than camera equipment. Letterboxd has even created a punch card for all the different formats you can see the movie in, which cast member Tom Holland promoted to try and collect them all.
If a marketing strategy hinges on access to cinema that is notably left off of entire countries, is exclusivity a part of the strategy? And how much do we all actually care about seeing a movie in its intended form? I, personally, rarely notice the aspect ratio of a movie, though that’s usually because I’m distracted by the popcorn (especially if it’s in a camera-shaped bucket).
It also begs the question: does all art need to be accessible? If we can all head to the cinema to see The Odyssey, even if it is slightly diminished, is that enough?
It’s not just the travel and physical access which can be limiting; the price of an IMAX ticket could have an effect as well. In Melbourne, an adult ticket to The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm costs $47 VS $28 at an average Hoyts cinema. Of course, we do have streaming (or pirating for any sneakier folks on a budget), though the cheaper the format, the further away you get from the director’s vision. Is it Chris Nolan’s job to produce something that all people can access in its truest form or, by advancing the industry, has he done his bit?
It’s a question that may simply come down to Nolan and his cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema’s framing. The Odyssey’s compositions centre the action, so audiences won’t miss key moments regardless of where they’re watching the movie. And while aspect ratios and Dolby sound systems play a part in this, if it’s not something you’ve noticed previously, it’s unlikely to impact your viewing experience this time around.
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