‘The Odyssey’ Sails Back Into IMAX 70mm Just Days After Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Took Its Screens

Some films refuse to leave theaters quietly. A few months after launch, most blockbusters are winding down, with premium screens handed off to the next big release. ‘The Odyssey‘ has taken a different path, and now it’s heading back to the format it dominated all summer.

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem was shot entirely with IMAX cameras, and IMAX 70mm is widely seen as the best way to experience it. It premiered on July 17, with a cast that includes Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron. Fans had been lining up for tickets since a year before release.

The latest development is a return engagement. Universal announced on Tuesday that ‘The Odyssey’ is coming back to select IMAX theaters and 70mm screens starting Friday, October 9, and the ‘The Odyssey’ IMAX 70mm re-release is already generating excitement among moviegoers who missed the first run, or want to see it again.

Guess who’s coming back to IMAX theatres? After #DIGGER’s disastrous performance globally, IMAX has just announced that #ChristopherNolan’s Epic #TheOdyssey will reclaim its historic journey in IMAX theatres, this time including IMAX 70MM format, this week already, on FRI OCT 9! https://t.co/b564OAMZxD

— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) October 6, 2026

The comeback follows a screen swap. According to JoBlo, IMAX had been playing ‘The Odyssey’ in 70mm all summer, but had to surrender those screens last weekend to Warner Bros.’ ‘Digger,’ starring Tom Cruise. The idea was for ‘Digger’ to be an IMAX event, since it was shot in 65mm VistaVision.

That plan did not pan out, as ‘Digger’ opened to disappointing results. With the film underperforming, IMAX 70mm screens that had been selling out around the clock, even more than 2 months after ‘The Odyssey’ opened, are going back to Nolan’s epic.

The numbers help explain the decision. ‘The Odyssey’ has grossed $1.76 billion worldwide and is now Universal’s highest-grossing film of all time before inflation adjustment. It passed the $1.67 billion global record set by ‘Jurassic World’ in 2015, doing so in its ninth weekend in theaters.

It has also set several other marks, according to TheWrap. The film is a career best for Nolan, surpassing even the inflation-adjusted total of ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ and it holds the all-time R-rated box office record. It is also the highest-grossing film ever for IMAX.

Nolan’s third $1 billion-plus hit arrives 18 years after ‘The Dark Knight’ became the first superhero film to cross that milestone. ‘The Odyssey’ is also the first film that is not a sequel or remake since ‘Avatar’ in early 2010 to gross more than $1 billion outside the U.S. In an era dominated by franchises, that distinction stands out.

NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman Donna Langley described the film as “a generational event that galvanizes moviegoing itself,” according to TheWrap. The film also continues the relationship between Nolan and Universal that began 5 years ago, when the filmmaker ended his decade-plus tenure at Warner Bros. to make ‘Oppenheimer.’

In 2 Weeks, experience The Odyssey in theaters on July 17. Get tickets now. https://t.co/sk8jwTBi7P https://t.co/9wjoSuVJqE

— The Odyssey Movie (@odysseymovie) July 1, 2026

The engagement could be short or surprisingly long. The re-release this weekend includes digital IMAX screens as well as 70mm, though JoBlo notes the digital run will likely be short-term, with ‘Street Fighter’ opening in a week. The 70mm screens may stay occupied for months, since the next true IMAX 70mm release, ‘Dune: Part Three,’ doesn’t open until December 18.

That gap gives Nolan’s film a long runway on the most coveted screens in cinema. For viewers who never got a ticket during the summer rush, the extended window is good news.

Online reaction has been enthusiastic. Fans noted that the film’s IMAX showings remained full even weeks after its debut, with some wondering why the film was pulled in the first place. Others joked that it could stay on screens through awards season, since there are no other big IMAX releases for some time.

The mood reflects how the film has become a cultural event rather than a standard summer release. People have been going back for second and third viewings, and the 70mm presentation remains a draw in its own right. For many, the re-release is a chance to see Nolan’s version of Homer the way it was intended.

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