Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is now playing in theaters, but if you wanted to watch the epic the way the director intended—in true IMAX 70mm—you might be out of luck.
IMAX 70mm Theaters Are Rare
Only 25 theaters in the United States (41 in the entire world) are actually equipped to project The Odyssey in true IMAX 70mm film. This has led fans to snap up tickets as quickly as possible and even to take cross-country road trips to the nearest theater capable of screening the film as intended.
So, what’s the deal? Why can’t more IMAX theaters screen 70mm? According to IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond, it’s because they haven’t made any new IMAX film projectors in decades, which means they have to constantly rebuild old ones with parts that are increasingly becoming obsolete.
“We’re sold out in some theaters into the fifth week already,” Gelfond told Variety. “There’s certainly more demand. The problem is they haven’t made new Imax film projectors in about 50 years. So we retrofit them, rebuild them and part of our strategy is to see how far we can take it. But certainly, demand-driven, I’d like to see more.“
He continued, “We build new projectors every day, but film projectors using this film — it’s just not practical. Can all 2,000 of our theaters be film projectors? No. There’s just not that many around. But I think we can continue to grow it.“
The Parts No Longer Exist
To make matters worse, sources at IMAX told Variety that many of the parts needed to build these film projectors “simply no longer exist.” The original designs weren’t properly maintained, and very few engineers actually understand the systems properly. And even if more IMAX 70mm projectors were able to be built, there are very few theaters where they could actually be installed.
In a statement, the company said, “Imax exists to help filmmakers bring their visions to life; we would love more Imax 70mm systems out there for the growing number of filmmakers who want to create and present in this one-of-a-kind format. We leave no stone unturned in getting additional film projectors into our global network, and that includes exploring new projection technologies. In the meantime, the frenzy around Imax 70mm somehow continues to find new ways to surprise us.“
What We Thought
Even our own Chris Bumbray wasn’t able to see The Odyssey in true IMAX 70mm film, and although he enjoyed it, it didn’t leave him with his jaw on the floor.
“I hesitate to give The Odyssey a definitive rating, as I feel like I truly didn’t get to see it the way it was intended—on an IMAX screen—but even still, I was mostly captivated by it,” he wrote. “While not, at first glance, among Nolan’s absolute best, it’s still a stunning achievement and among the most ambitious films of its time. It’s a full meal, that’s for sure.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
Have you been able to see The Odyssey in true IMAX 70mm film?
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