Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is different from most blockbuster releases. It is the first commercial feature shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras, meaning it displays the full, uncropped 1.43:1 aspect ratio.
Although the film can still be seen in standard theaters, only a few theaters around the world can present the film exactly as it was intended.
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Why does it need to be seen in IMAX 70mm?
The print of the film Odissi is very big. Reports suggest that each IMAX 70mm print is over 17 kilometers long and weighs approximately 240 kilograms.
The highest-resolution film format now in use, IMAX 1570 film, named for the 70 mm width of the film stock and 15 perforations on each frame, has long been favored by Nolan. Hence, the film was shot entirely on 1570 cameras, which are extremely heavy and fast and also require frequent reloading.
During Odyssey filming, the film stock had to be changed every three minutes. To record dialogue for the first time on 1570, Nolan worked with IMAX to create a soundproof “blimp” to hold the 180 kg camera.
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Where can audiences see The Odyssey in true IMAX 70mm?
Most of the world’s IMAX 70mm venues are located in North America, Europe and Australia. There are only 41 theaters in the world that are equipped to showcase the film’s true potential.
This creates an incredibly large and detailed image that many filmmakers and cinema lovers consider the ultimate movie watching experience. Fans are crossing boundaries to see the film for what it really is.
Melbourne, Australia, has become the most popular destination for The Odyssey, as it is the only cinema in the Southern Hemisphere with a 1570-reel display of The Odyssey. At 32 meters wide and 23 meters high, Melbourne’s IMAX is the world’s largest 1.43:1 movie screen.
“We are just one of 41 theaters around the world,” said Jeremy Fee, general manager of IMAX Melbourne [where] You can look at it in the way that Nolan made the film. There are only seven in the entire world outside of North America, so people look for that special experience. They can’t really see it anywhere else.
Some other locations include:
- Lincoln Square IMAX, New York City
- AMC Universal CityWalk IMAX, Los Angeles
- Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood and IMAX – Universal City, CA
- TCL Chinese Theater IMAX – Hollywood, CA
- Regal Edwards Ontario Palace & IMAX – Ontario, CA
- Regal Irvine Spectrum 21 + IMAX – Irvine, CA
- Esquire IMAX – Sacramento, CA
- BFI IMAX, London
- View Manchester Printworks IMAX, Manchester
Many theaters around the world use IMAX with laser, which digitally projects the film while maintaining better brightness, contrast, color accuracy and sharper detail than traditional digital IMAX systems. Although it doesn’t reproduce the entire movie-based presentation, it is still one of the best options available.