{"id":551528,"date":"2026-07-21T01:56:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T01:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/551528\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T01:56:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T01:56:16","slug":"the-odyssey-box-office-shows-audiences-love-imax-70mm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/551528\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Odyssey’ Box Office Shows Audiences Love IMAX 70mm"},"content":{"rendered":"

We wholly acknowledge how nerdy it was when we wrote extensively about seeing \u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d in VistaVision<\/a>. But Christopher Nolan<\/a> and \u201cThe Odyssey<\/a>\u201d have proven that we\u2019re now at a point where going out of your way to see the film<\/a> in the unique IMAX<\/a> 70mm format is no longer obscure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Odyssey\u201d is the first movie shot entirely on IMAX cameras in this 70mm format<\/a>, and that distinct way to see it hasn\u2019t been lost on anyone as a significant and important way to experience it. The format discussion has been such a part of the discourse around \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d (ignoring that other discourse that won\u2019t go away) that social media has been flooded with memes<\/a> of watching \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d on an Apple Watch, a refrigerator, a portable DVD player, or Michael Scott\u2019s plasma screen from \u201cThe Office.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Paramount<\/a> \"Her<\/a> <\/p>\n

Seeing \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d in 70mm was one of the hottest and hardest-to-get tickets this weekend anywhere you went, but it actually bares out in the numbers and was not for lack of availability. Nolan\u2019s film made $263.7 million globally this weekend, the third-highest MPA global opening of the year and Nolan\u2019s biggest global debut ever. But it also made $51.8 million globally in IMAX screens, and $6.1 million specifically in IMAX 70mm this weekend. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s a significant chunk of change. In fact, it was nearly 12 percent of all the money IMAX brought in around the world this weekend. We\u2019ve written before about how much premium formats can matter<\/a> to a movie\u2019s overall box office<\/a>, and in this case that was even true for one very particular format.<\/p>\n

In the U.S., \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d fell just short of being IMAX\u2019s biggest opening ever, bringing in $29.6 million and behind only \u201cStar Wars: The Force Awakens\u201d which did $30.0 million. It has a long way to go if it were to be IMAX\u2019s biggest release ever, a title currently held by the original \u201cAvatar\u201d with $270 million, which is inclusive of its original release and its re-release. But it is IMAX\u2019s biggest opening for a Nolan film ever, and globally it will likely surpass the $183 million lifetime gross managed by \u201cOppenheimer.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a testament to the faith Nolan placed in IMAX and the enormous investment IMAX and Nolan made to making \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d work. Nolan\u2019s movie cost Universal a budget of $250 million, and this is an enormous start toward recouping that and much more. But IMAX at the time of \u201cOppenheimer\u201d had only 30 IMAX 70mm locations on which to screen his film. In preparation for \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d IMAX has now reached 41 locations. <\/p>\n

Fortunately, \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d will have a long runway to continue capitalizing on those premium screens. The film will remain in IMAX globally for at least three weeks, and it will stay on IMAX 70mm screens throughout August. We suspect the excitement around seeing it on that format won\u2019t dissipate at quite the same rate it does everywhere else.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019The Odyssey\u2019 is among a rarified group of instant classic blockbusters in IMAX history that fully leverage our platform; as bullish as we are on its success, our experience tells us that even we don\u2019t know how this movie will grow our brand and business,\u201d says Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. \u201cChristopher Nolan summoned all his brilliance, imagination, and ambition to lead a world-class cast and crew in making this unforgettable film, and we at IMAX are eternally grateful to be a part of this journey that is just beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n