‘The Odyssey’ fuels demand for Imax 70 mm screenings
General views of the TCL Chinese Theater during the Imax release weekend of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” on July 18, 2026 in Hollywood, California.
AaronP | Bauer-Griffin | Gc Pictures | Getty Images
The 39-year-old marketer went on his own hero’s journey to see Mike Rohlfing’s “The Odyssey” in theaters this week.
Rohlfing, his wife and three children in St. He traveled nearly 900 miles round trip in a minivan from their home in St. Louis, Missouri, to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Goals: One of the elite movie theaters Imax 70-millimeter screenings for director Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the epic poem.
“This is an incredible format,” Rohlfin told CNBC. “Traveling such a long distance was definitely worth it for me.”
Rohlfing isn’t the only one who went out of his way to experience this. Universal It’s a movie that’s hard to find.
The cast list may include A-list actors like Zendaya and Anne Hathaway, but the groundbreaking performances come from the large-scale analog viewing experience beloved by Nolan and his fans. Exclusive data shared with CNBC shows how significantly the film has increased interest in higher-priced Imax 70mm releases.
It is part of a class of high-end scan types known as “premium large formats” or PLFs. According to EntTelligence, an adult Imax 70mm ticket for opening weekend set a typical attendee $27.77. This is 81% more expensive than the average cost of entry across formats.
“Imax 70-millimeter film has been among the hottest tickets in the world,” Imax CEO Richard Gelfond said in a conference call with analysts Thursday. “Fans are flying across countries, if not continents, to experience ‘The Odyssey’ and Imax 70 millimeter.”
Mike Rohlfing in the projection room of an Imax 70mm theater in Michigan.
Courtesy: Mike Rohlfing
‘Historic’ demand
On its opening weekend, Gelfond reported that the average 70mm screen brought in a “huge” box office of $153,000. Imax 70mm screenings of “The Odyssey” will continue for months, Gelfond said.
However, Imax cannot rapidly increase screening numbers to meet the increasing interest. This is because only a small fraction of the total Imax theaters are large enough and equipped with the costly machinery required to project huge Mornirolls of 70mm film. Imax lists 25 theaters across the U.S. and 16 internationally with 70mm “The Odyssey” presentations.
“We could have more, and we’re exploring ways to do that, but it’s kind of like a Rolls-Royce,” Gelfond said of Imax 70mm auditoriums. “There are a limited number of places that can really support the economy.”
Additionally, Nolan’s film is the first feature film shot entirely with Imax 70 mm cameras. Other directors have used this format for smaller, often action-packed scenes in more traditionally filmed feature films.
Even on limited screens Cinemamark He told CNBC that demand for Imax 70mm screenings is “extraordinarily strong” in states including Colorado and Texas. Regal said the nearly three-hour film is the chain’s best-viewed film in Imax 70mm.
The Imax 70mm theater at the Indiana State Museum — the only movie house in the Hoosier State operating that format — added an additional week of screenings in August due to “historic” demand.
In the early days of shows, more than half the audience traveled at least 50 miles, according to Neale Johantgen, manager of the Indiana theater. His team welcomed visitors from more than 20 states and handled requests from moviegoers trying to buy tickets from as far away as Switzerland.
“Demand has never been higher,” Johantgen said. “Great.”
Regal Irvine Spectrum reopened on September 17, 2020 with a new high-tech look that includes dramatic corridor lighting leading to the Imax theater in Irvine, California.
Gina Ferazzi | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
‘Crème de la crème’
Given limited availability, securing an Imax 70mm ticket has become a battle in itself. Theaters hold screenings at all hours of the day, but reservations are filled even for early morning screenings. Some cinemas sell Imax 70 mm tickets a year in advance.
A few months ago, Morgan Bernados couldn’t make it through the line at her local theater in the San Francisco Bay Area because seats were running out. After shifting her focus to the Imax 70mm screen about 90 minutes away, the 27-year-old nonprofit worker was able to get tickets for the Monday night show.
“I felt like I was buying concert tickets,” said Bernados, who likened the process to the frenzy around it. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. “There’s definitely an element of ‘FOMO’.”
Ashton Jones was only able to get a seat at the only Imax 70mm theater in his home state of Georgia during the 3 a.m. showtime. The 26-year-old information technology executive drank a Red Bull energy drink halfway through the movie to stay awake. After the closing credits rolled and Jones drove about an hour home, it was almost time to start his workday.
“It was fun,” Jones said. “But the next day it hurt.”
Imax’s shares outperformed its peers last year; investors viewed the company’s premium offerings as a key factor in getting consumers to watch movies in theaters. Wall Street expects more upside in the future: Most analysts have a buy rating, and the average price target suggests shares could rise another 12% over the next year, according to LSEG.
Imax beat analysts’ earnings expectations when reporting second-quarter earnings on Thursday, leading to one of the stock’s biggest single-session gains in recent history. The Canada-based company also reported a year-over-year increase in signings and installations on its network.
“They really create an experience that you can’t replicate at home,” said Steve Frankel, senior research analyst at Wall Street firm Rosenblatt Securities. “The 70-millimeter experience is really the icing on the cake.”
Imax in the last 5 years
How did Imax 70 mm come into the spotlight?
Nolan and the film’s stars encouraged audiences to see the blockbuster on Imax 70mm. But blockbuster watchers also believe social media users and young moviegoers are playing a leading role in generating excitement for such screenings of “The Odyssey.”
The volume of conversation about the Imax 70mm format on social media and news media nearly doubled in the five-day period starting July 17, according to data Meltwater analyzed exclusively for CNBC. The monitoring firm said overall sentiment on the issue has become increasingly positive during this period.
From left to right: Director Christopher Nolan with Director of Photography Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, on the set of THE ODYSSEY, written, produced and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Courtesy: Melinda Sue Gordon | Universal Studios
Relative Google According to the company’s data, the search volume for “Imax 70 mm” is expected to break new records this month. It last reached new heights with Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in the summer of 2023.
Shawn Robbins, founder of Box Office Theory and director of analytics at Fandango, said Imax 70mm is “really capturing the attention of more than just die-hard movie fans,” adding that it’s starting to “kind of spread into the popular culture lexicon.”
Robbins said he expects “The Odyssey” to return to Imax 70mm theaters during slower periods in the fall release calendar. He said the excitement could increase interest in presenting future films in the same format as below. Warner Bros. discovery“Dune: Part Three” will be released in December.
decision time
For consumers like Alexandria Kinsey, comparing viewing formats for “The Odyssey” resulted in an education in theater jargon. The Washington-area resident said he used TikTok to research the difference between types of screenings with names like “XL” and “Dolby Cinema.” He discovered that views advertised as simply “Imax” or “70mm” were different from the actual Imax 70mm experience.
“‘What does all this mean?'” Kinsey said. “I thought,” he said. “Very impressive.”
Kinsey ultimately decided to release it at the Dolby Theater but hopes to see the film again at Imax in the future. Kinsey said that events such as concerts have become increasingly expensive in the post-pandemic period. The 28-year-old actor, who is an “entertainment” influencer, feels that premium format movies are an affordable luxury that fits his budget.
Matt Damon plays Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”
Universal
St. Rohlfing, a St. Louis-based marketer, has become a disciple of Imax 70mm among his friends and on social media.
When packing the car, Rohlfing made sure there was room for the special Imax collectible popcorn bucket that debuted alongside “The Odyssey.” Imax said it sold more than 10,000 carriers and some items sold out within minutes.
Rohlfing made a habit of warning his friends to ensure an Imax release of his project film. Rohlfing said that if movie theaters used digital instead of analog, audiences would experience what he jokingly described as “maximum lies.”
“I am notorious as an Imax purist,” Rohlfing said.
Disclosure: Versant Media is the parent company of CNBC and Fandango.
