Christopher Nolan Says There’s Only One Right Way to Watch ‘The Odyssey,’ and Fans Are Going to Extreme Lengths to Do It

Christopher Nolan has never been shy about his devotion to film projection, but with ‘The Odyssey’ he has taken that obsession to an entirely new level. The film is the first narrative movie in cinema history to be shot entirely on IMAX 65mm cameras, a fact that makes the 70mm IMAX release the only way to see it correctly. That single detail has turned a routine summer blockbuster release into a full blown cultural event.

‘The Odyssey’ arrives exclusively in theaters, with preview screenings on Thursday, July 16, before opening everywhere on Friday, July 17. The question fans keep asking is simple. If Nolan built this movie for one very specific viewing experience, will audiences actually chase it down, and should you.

The IMAX 70mm Obsession Driving ‘The Odyssey’ Hype

Nolan’s fixation on format is not new, but ‘The Odyssey’ pushes it further than anything he has made before. Because the movie was filmed entirely using IMAX cameras on 70mm film, the cinemas equipped to project it can show the movie in its full 1.43 to 1 aspect ratio without cropping the image. In practice, that means during many scenes the picture is noticeably taller than in a regular cinema, revealing extra image at the top and bottom of the frame instead of a wide letterboxed image with black bars.

That extra visual real estate is exactly what Nolan wants audiences chasing. Films shot for IMAX like ‘The Odyssey’ typically mask the top and bottom of the frame when shown in non IMAX theaters, which means true IMAX projection is the only way to see the full image Nolan actually captured. It is a filmmaking philosophy built around scale, and ‘The Odyssey’ seems designed to make that philosophy impossible to ignore.

Not every theater can deliver it, either. Only 41 theaters worldwide have the projection capacity to show ‘The Odyssey’ in true IMAX 70mm, and there is now a dedicated map to help fans find the nearest one. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond has pointed out that new 70mm projectors have not been manufactured in roughly half a century, forcing IMAX to retrofit or rebuild existing equipment rather than produce new units in time for the release.

Fans Chasing the 70mm ‘The Odyssey’ Experience Across the Country

The scarcity has turned ticket buying into something closer to a sporting event. Christopher Nolan’s fans have been going to extreme lengths to see ‘The Odyssey’ in IMAX 70mm, from cross country trips to rearranging major life plans just to catch a screening in the format. That kind of devotion says a lot about how central Nolan has become to the modern IMAX brand.

Demand for IMAX tickets has been so intense since the first showings at select locations went on sale in July 2025, nearly a year before the film’s release, that some shows sold out within hours. IMAX screenings at Lincoln Square in New York even sold out at three in the morning. For a movie that has not even opened wide yet, that is a staggering show of loyalty.

Not everyone is willing to fly across the country, of course, and Nolan has left room for other formats too. If IMAX 70mm is not accessible, some venues are showing ‘The Odyssey’ on standard 70mm film, which still delivers a high density image but crops away the exaggerated IMAX frame into a wider 2.20 to 1 aspect ratio. Dolby Cinema is by far the most widely available premium option, since far more theaters are equipped for it than for 70mm.

Why Critics Say the ‘The Odyssey’ Format Actually Matters

This is not just marketing spin. Critics who have already seen ‘The Odyssey’ are backing up the idea that format genuinely changes the experience. One review described the film as a bold, brawny, and brutally impressive mega movie made for IMAX that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

Another outlet framed the release around Nolan’s own recommendation. Audiences can screen ‘The Odyssey’ in a variety of formats, including the rarefied and cinephile beloved 70mm IMAX projection, described as the way Nolan himself intended the film to be seen. That kind of language, repeated across multiple reviews, suggests critics genuinely believe the format is doing narrative and emotional work, not just technical showing off.

Cast members have echoed the sentiment too. Lupita Nyong’o has said there is nothing quite like seeing the film in its intended format, while Robert Pattinson has playfully called 35mm the classic film format with four perforations. Even the actors seem to be leaning into Nolan’s format obsession as part of the movie’s identity.

The Real Cost of Chasing the Ultimate ‘The Odyssey’ Viewing Format

Here is the catch nobody can ignore. Chasing the best possible presentation of ‘The Odyssey’ is not cheap, and the gap between formats is wider than most moviegoers expect.

One journalist who compared ticket prices across every available format in New York City found the price difference between the cheapest and most expensive option was shocking, with a 4DX ticket costing more than double what it would cost to see the film projected digitally at an independent theater in Brooklyn. That kind of gap turns a simple movie outing into a genuine budgeting decision.

Universal itself has tried to help audiences navigate the choices. The film’s distributor released a series of videos briefly outlining each viewing option, walking fans through IMAX 70mm, standard 70mm, 35mm, and various premium large format auditoriums. Even with that guidance, the sheer number of formats, prices, and theater capabilities means most people will end up settling for whatever is realistically available near them rather than the theoretical gold standard Nolan had in mind.

Whether or not you make the pilgrimage to one of those 41 IMAX 70mm screens, ‘The Odyssey’ has already succeeded in making format part of the conversation before most people have even seen the film. So, are you tracking down a true IMAX 70mm screening for ‘The Odyssey,’ settling for whatever premium format is closest, or waiting until it eventually lands on a screen you don’t have to travel for?