Fans Travel Across States for Limited IMAX 70mm Screenings of Nolan's 'The Odyssey'
Christopher Nolan's new film, shot entirely in IMAX 70mm, has sparked a nationwide rush for tickets, with fans traveling long distances and securing seats months in advance.
The release of Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey," filmed exclusively with IMAX 70mm cameras, has triggered a surge of demand for the limited showings that can accommodate the format. Universal Pictures began selling tickets a year before the opening weekend, and most screenings sold out within hours, prompting fans to line up online, wait on hold, or even travel to other states to secure a seat.
Several moviegoers described the effort as comparable to an odyssey of its own. Amber Connaghan, a 29-year-old tech editor from the California desert, purchased her ticket more than a year in advance and is preparing for a three-hour drive to the nearest IMAX 70mm venue. Hogan Shay, a 27-year-old software advisor from Dallas, said he plans to see the film twice in two weeks, calling it “the biggest movie of the year from the biggest director of our lifetime.”
Others are making longer trips. Tim McHugh, a 33-year-old healthcare consultant from Pittsburgh, is flying to Los Angeles to watch the film at Universal CityWalk, citing a long-standing desire to experience IMAX 70mm after seeing promotional material for a previous IMAX release. Conrad Rothbaum, a filmmaker in Los Angeles, recounted the difficulty of securing a ticket when the online system repeatedly crashed, while Spencer Frey, a recruiting consultant from New Jersey, resorted to purchasing a seat in person at an AMC lobby during a lunch break.
Industry observers note that the film is expected to dominate the weekend box office, reflecting Nolan’s track record of delivering high-grossing releases such as "The Dark Knight," "Dunkirk" and "Oppenheimer." Fans like Daniel Patchen, a media studies student, praised the technical aspects of Nolan’s work, and attorney Simon James has already bought 18 tickets for the film’s first three weeks, citing the director’s own advocacy for the IMAX experience.
The heightened enthusiasm appears driven in part by a fear of missing a cultural moment, with several fans acknowledging a sense of FOMO surrounding the limited-run screenings.