Christopher Nolan's upcoming film, "The Odyssey," set to premiere on July 17, 2026, is making waves as the first movie ever shot entirely with IMAX 1570 cameras. With only 41 theaters globally capable of fully projecting the film in IMAX 70mm, fans are scrambling for tickets to experience the optimal viewing format, even sparking an international travel trend to catch a screening.
According to The Guardian, the extreme scarcity of IMAX 70mm-equipped cinemas has prompted many enthusiasts to journey overseas, all for the chance to witness the film in its highest resolution celluloid format. Nolan, a long-time proponent of IMAX 1570 film, also contributed to developing new technology for this project, making the typically heavy and noisy cameras quiet enough to record dialogue. Despite these advancements, the filming process remained highly intricate, requiring film reels to be changed every three minutes.
Addressing public curiosity about why IMAX isn't expanding its projection capabilities, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond told Variety that while he also wishes for more IMAX 70mm screens, the challenge lies in the fact that "they haven't manufactured new IMAX film projectors in about 50 years." He explained that at this stage, the company must locate existing equipment and then refurbish and rebuild it.
When asked about the possibility of building more 1570 projectors, Gelfond stated that while IMAX manufactures new projectors daily, those designed for this specific film format are "not practical." Therefore, it's impossible to equip all 2,000 of its theaters with them. The report further highlighted that 1570 projection involves high costs and complex maintenance; for "The Odyssey," for example, the film reels span over 17 kilometers in length and weigh 240 kilograms, making it an unsustainable burden for most conventional theaters.
via： The Guardian