The Odyssey tells the story of one man’s long journey home after the Trojan War. And while the journey to Christopher Nolan’s adaptation won’t be nearly as perilous, it is certainly off to quite the start. The film opens in theaters July 17, 2026, which is exactly one year from today. And, earlier this week, showtimes for the film began mysteriously showing up on ticketing websites. Surely, no one would sell tickets for a movie a year in advance, right? Only that’s exactly what happened. And it got a little crazy.
At midnight ET on July 17, IMAX and others quietly announced via social media that tickets for “the first IMAX 70mm screenings for one year from now” were now on sale. Sixteen theaters in the U.S., six in Canada, two in the U.K., and one in the Czech Republic simultaneously released tickets for only a handful of shows (usually one per day), and they basically all sold out in minutes. Places like New York, where only one theater is on sale, were much quicker. In Los Angeles, where there are multiple theaters, it took closer to an hour for everything to sell out. But, as of this morning, basically everything is gone, unless you want to sit in the front row or something like that.
Why those theaters? Well, these are the only theaters currently capable (that may change in the next year) of showing The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm. It’s the first theatrical film to ever be fully captured with IMAX 70mm cameras, so the entire film will be presented multiple stories tall in 1.43:1 for its entire runtime. It’ll play in normal theaters too, as well as other premium formats, but this is the main one, and it’s historic.
Earlier this week, when io9 inquired with Fandango, IMAX, and Universal Pictures about the ticket sale, no one replied. That led us to believe this was a large, secret stunt everyone preferred to keep a lid on. Something possibly even tied to the online release of the teaser trailer that’s currently playing only in theaters. However, as of publication, that trailer still isn’t online, so rumors of the event being driven more by IMAX than Universal seem to have some merit.
A few things almost immediately happened once tickets sold out, though. First, scalpers began trying to sell tickets for the showtimes at super inflated prices. Second, many fans felt incredibly disappointed that, this far out, they’ve already been shut out of seeing Nolan’s latest in his preferred format. What’s important to remember about both of these things is that these are not the only showtimes. These are just “the first IMAX 70mm screenings” and only at these specific theaters. Yes, a few primetime showtimes on the film’s opening next weekend next year are now sold out. But the film won’t just be playing only once per day. In fact, there’s a good chance some theaters will show the film around the clock on opening weekend if there’s demand for it. And, with sellouts a year in advance, there sure seems to be demand for it.
So, if you weren’t able to get tickets for one of these screenings, don’t fret, and definitely don’t buy scalped tickets. In the next year, some fans may have other things come up and be forced to return tickets. IMAX is already working on building new theaters that’ll support this format, so be on the lookout for those. Also, many, many other theaters and showtimes will appear as the film’s release date approaches. Part of the reason IMAX only sold select showtimes is Nolan is still making the movie. He doesn’t know how long it’s going to be yet and probably won’t know for months. Then, once it is, you can be sure more showtimes will be added in all formats.
In the end, though, whoever came up with this plan is surely patting themself on the back. This was an attempt to get some publicity and showcase demand for premium formats as one giant stunt. And it worked. We’re talking about The Odyssey a year in advance, during production, and already the IMAX 70mm experience is whipping people into a frenzy. Plus, it also made history by being the first movie ever to sell tickets a year ahead of release. Movies that open this August haven’t grossed a dime yet. But The Odyssey has.
Were you able to get tickets to The Odyssey? Have a bad experience? Let us know below.