Christopher Nolan’s the Odyssey to be the First Blockbuster Film Shot Entirely on IMAX 70mm -

By Luis Zonenberg

When it was reported that Christopher Nolan would be adapting The Odyssey for his next feature, fans began to speculate how this would look on the big screen. With an all star cast led by Matt Damon, this is poised to be the biggest film of Nolan’s career. With the budget revealed to be locked in at $250 million, it is set to be one of Nolan’s most expensive ventures to date and the latest reports definitely show why.

It was revealed a few days ago that the film is going to be the first major blockbuster shot entirely on IMAX 70mm, the largest film format available today! This is an old camera system that utilizes a large horizontal variant of 70mm film that runs through the camera, allowing it to capture a more in depth picture and quality with a resolution of at least 16K. Only IMAX screenings will showcase the full image the camera captured; otherwise audiences will end up watching a “cropped” version of the movie.

The cameras themselves are very expensive, with a rental costing roughly $16,000 per week. On top of the expensive price tag, the cameras also make the cameraman feel like they’re working out at the gym. Each camera weighs between 42 and 100 lbs, with the lightweight model coming in at around 46 lbs. These factors contribute to the difficulty of filming in the format, which is why only select scenes are shot like this.

Due to the bulky size and expensive nature of the camera, they were originally used to film nature documentaries. It wasn’t until Nolan began production of The Dark Knight back in 2006 that it would be used to film a major blockbuster film. Roughly 28 minutes of the film were shot in IMAX 70mm, with the scenes preserved on the blu-ray and 4k home video releases.

By the time The Dark Knight Rises was released in theaters, more blockbusters began utilizing the IMAX format. Even blockbusters today like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners are shot in IMAX 70mm, but the cameras are still mostly used for select sequences of the film. This is why it is especially important as to what Nolan is attempting to accomplish with his latest movie. Utilizing both the bulky and new lightweight 70mm IMAX cameras, Nolan is clearly aiming to film a blockbuster that demands to be seen on the largest screen!

This is not the first time Nolan has experimented with the IMAX format either. While filming Oppenheimer, the acclaimed director utilized a brand new 70mm IMAX camera to film select sequences of the film in black and white. While only 40 minutes of the film was shot in IMAX, Nolan is clearly building off the success of it and is utilizing his budget wisely to experiment and further the use of the film format.
The Odyssey will be released in theaters July 17, 2026.