Christopher Nolan‘s influence on IMAX is second to none, and his upcoming epic, The Odyssey, which is entirely shot on 70 mm film stock, is expected to witness a prolonged run on the premium format with no competition. According to an X post by Culture Crave, the movie might witness an exclusive IMAX run from July 17 to August 14.
IMAX’s 2026 slate 🍿 pic.twitter.com/qOCWr2MASr— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) October 29, 2025
This could heavily hinder the box office returns of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, set to open two weeks after Nolan’s epic. Even though fans will turn out for Brand New Day, as they do for any Spider-Man movie, losing the premium format might impact its earnings.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Might Lose IMAX Screens Against The Odyssey
A significant portion of Oppenheimer’s box office total stemmed from its IMAX screenings, contributing to a total of $190M. This isn’t surprising, as premium formats do charge more, and when it comes to Nolan, fans show up in masses, despite the price point (as seen with pre-booking for The Odyssey).
Brand New Day, on the flipside, might be losing an IMAX run for the entirety of its first two weeks, if the expected slate for 2026 does stick. Considering it’s the first Spider-Man movie post-No Way Home, it’s safe to say losing the IMAX screens will take a sizeable bite out of its anticipated numbers, similar to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.
While Brand New Day will still bank huge numbers, if it weren’t released alongside Nolan’s next big venture, it’d undoubtedly dominated the premium format as well.
MovieRelease DateThe OdysseyJuly 17, 2026Spider-Man: Brand New DayJuly 31, 2026
IMAX Will Add More 70mm Screens Ahead of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
Coming back to IMAX, Cinemax is set to add more 70mm screens across the United States and South America. The rare format, which Nolan has championed as the best way to experience movies, will see several new screens following IMAX’s new deal with the theater chain.
Christopher Nolan on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Credit: CBS
This includes four new IMAX with Laser systems, followed by three new 70mm screens in the US, and the remaining 12 IMAX screens under Cinemax will incorporate the 4k Laser projection system. Speaking of this commitment to the premium format, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond added (via Variety):
Cinemark expanding its commitment to the very best of what Imax has to offer — both Imax with Laser and Imax 70mm film — underscores the value we’re delivering for our exhibition partners in today’s marketplace
This isn’t the lone technological advancement that has been considered to endorse Nolan’s next epic, as they redesigned their cameras to make them lighter and quieter when processing 70mm film stocks (via THR). With nine months to go, it’ll be interesting to see how the turnaround for this movie will be when it comes to the IMAX screens.
Do you think the lack of IMAX screens will hinder Brand New Day‘s box office?
The Odyssey will release on July 17, 2026.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will release on July 31, 2026.
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