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Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Nets $124.5 M, Boosts IMAX Revenue

7/25/2026

Summary

Nolan Launches Odyssey

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” opened in U.S. theaters nationwide this week.
The three-hour film was shot almost entirely on IMAX 70 mm cameras, a first for a feature.
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Zendaya as Athena, while Ludwig Göransson composed the score with Bronze Age instruments.
Critics praise the visual spectacle and lead performances but call the narrative dense and the casting controversial.

Summary

IMAX Lifts Revenue

The Odyssey opened with $124.5 million in U.S./Canada ticket sales, lifting IMAX’s earnings.
IMAX reported a 12% year-over-year revenue increase, beating the 2.4% analyst forecast.
Only nine Canadian and 25 U.S. venues can project the true IMAX 70 mm version, each print costing $50,000.
Midnight-to-3 a.m. and 6 a.m. showings sold out, causing fans to spend hundreds on travel.
Analysts say the costly, limited-capacity IMAX 70 mm model is unlikely to expand widely.

History

Historical Context

Major studios have treated IMAX 70 mm as a limited-engagement premium since the late-1990s. Titanic’s 1997 IMAX DMR split the film into 108-minute and 87-minute prints, and Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar became the final worldwide IMAX 70 mm release for three years. The current release follows that industry model in North America with *The Odyssey*.

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Nolan Launches Odyssey

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” opened in U.S. theaters nationwide this week.
The three-hour film was shot almost entirely on IMAX 70 mm cameras, a first for a feature.
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Zendaya as Athena, while Ludwig Göransson composed the score with Bronze Age instruments.
Critics praise the visual spectacle and lead performances but call the narrative dense and the casting controversial.

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