Fans of Christopher Nolan are rearranging travel plans, buying tickets in bulk and even shifting personal timelines to catch “The Odyssey” in its rarest theatrical format, underscoring the director’s rare ability to turn a movie release into a full-blown event.
The film, Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, was shot entirely on Imax cameras, the first feature ever captured that way from start to finish. That distinction has fueled a scramble among devoted moviegoers to see it projected in true 70mm Imax, a format available at only a handful of theaters nationwide.
Simon James, a 33-year-old attorney in New York, bought 18 tickets to 70mm Imax screenings at AMC Lincoln Square spread across the film’s first three weeks in release. He said he trusts Nolan’s own insistence that his movies are best experienced on the largest possible screen. Tim McHugh, a healthcare consultant, is flying from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles to watch the film at Universal CityWalk, calling the format a longtime goal since he saw clips from 70mm screenings of “Sinners.” Software advisor Hogan Shay plans to see it twice within two weeks, describing Nolan as the defining director of his generation.
The devotion extends beyond scheduling. One fan, 29-year-old tech editor Amber Connaghan, said she postponed family planning to avoid a conflict with the release window, and is driving three hours from the California desert to see the film in 70mm on opening day.
The frenzy follows a wave of glowing early reactions from critics and industry press who saw the film ahead of its July 17 opening. Reviewers have praised its scale and craftsmanship, with some drawing comparisons to sweeping classics like “Lawrence of Arabia,” while others noted the adaptation takes liberties with Homer’s text that may not sit well with purists. The film also carries heavy expectations as Nolan’s follow-up to “Oppenheimer,” which won seven Academy Awards including best picture.
The cast includes Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Robert Pattinson, with Nolan writing, directing and producing alongside his wife, Emma Thomas. Industry projections put the film’s opening weekend domestic haul between $80 million and $100 million, though the enthusiasm building around 70mm screenings suggests that number could climb.
