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People Are Breaking The Bank To See The Odyssey
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures // Illustration by Kate Walker
Moviegoers are on a literal odyssey to see Christopher Nolan’s latest epic this weekend, especially in the filmmaker’s preferred IMAX 70mm format.
The Big Picture: Nolan was already the most popular filmmaker in the world after Oppenheimer made nearly $1 billion at the box office and swept the Oscars just a few years ago, so the hype for The Odyssey has been sky-high. But given the movie’s outsized demand — even by Nolan’s already lofty standards — The Odyssey further cements the idea that auteur-driven, big-event movies remain arguably the most dominant cultural art form in the world.
Behind The Mission: Cinemas across the globe are telling themselves, “We’re gonna need a bigger theater.”
A limited release of IMAX 70mm screenings of The Odyssey sold out a year ago, followed by another ticket release in early June, with fans reportedly trying to get tickets the same way they would for a Taylor Swift concert.
The remaining screenings have been plagued by ticket-site crashes and long waits at in-person kiosks. They’ve also been fodder for scalpers, with some tickets selling for $600.
Theaters are doing everything they can to keep up with demand, adding showtimes in the middle of the night and providing breakfast for early-bird screenings. Those, too, have sold out.
And die-hard Nolan fans have taken their plans to see the movie to an unprecedented level, including buying tickets to see it a dozen times in theaters, crossing state lines to catch a 70mm screening, and even delaying getting pregnant.
Last Leg: Beyond the typical excitement of seeing a new Nolan movie, the fact that The Odyssey is the first movie ever shot entirely in IMAX is piquing a lot of interest. IMAX and other premium large-format offerings have become the go-to way for people to see a movie, especially blockbusters, and now contribute a huge percentage of many films’ overall box office. It’s why studios fight over the limited number of IMAX screens and even use the format as a major marketing tool.
While The Odyssey is expected to make over $200 million at the global box office this weekend, that number could end up being much higher.
Coming Soon: There are only 39 true IMAX 70mm theaters worldwide, so expect screenings at those locations to remain nearly sold out for as long as the movie is in theaters.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.