Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey setting IMAX records in the UK before it hits theaters
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is a hit before it even opens: London’s BFI IMAX sold 28,000 tickets in 24 hours, raking in £750,000 — the venue’s biggest presale haul ever and ahead of recent blockbusters.
Look, I know we're all used to seeing Christopher Nolan shatter some sort of box office thing every time he sneezes, but this run-up to The Odyssey is getting a bit ridiculous—in the best possible way. Forget 'blockbuster anticipation', we're looking at the sort of pre-release ticket frenzy that usually only happens when, I don't know, Glastonbury decides to hand out free booze with every pass.
The BFI IMAX Goes Absolutely Mad for Nolan
The latest: Nolan's The Odyssey has set a brand new presale record at London's legendary BFI IMAX. To put it bluntly, 28,000 seats sold in just 24 hours—a jaw-dropping £750,000 pulled in right off the bat. That's not just impressive for a single venue, that's re-writing the rules of the game.
It's not just the sheer number here; it's the speed and, frankly, the planning. They managed to sell out four full opening weekend screenings in under an hour—and get this, tickets went on sale a full year before anyone will actually see the film. That's either confidence, hype, or the ultimate test of British patience.
If you're wondering how that compares, here's a bit of context: the previous single-day record at BFI IMAX was set by Dune: Part Two, which managed £366,000 in 24 hours. Not shabby. And then there was Nolan's own Oppenheimer, which did a frankly tiny £254,000 for the same period. This time, he's doubled it (and then some).
Across the Pond—Same Story, Different Venue
Over in the States, AMC theatres had to handle what was essentially a digital stampede. The Odyssey racked up the highest first-day advance sales for their premium screens in four years, and the demand was so intense there were reports of hour-long virtual queues just to get your seat sorted. AMC's CEO Adam Aron had to jump on X to apologise for the chaos, telling everyone:
"MILLIONS more available seats."
Sure Adam, but maybe invest in some faster servers while you're at it?
The Early Bird Catches the 70mm Worm
Universal did something unusually bold—they put IMAX 70mm and standard 70mm tickets up for pre-order a full year ahead of the release. Those seats weren't just snapped up by die-hards and Nolan superfans; advance sales reportedly hit the $1.5 million mark before we've even seen a single frame.
- First film shot completely on IMAX 70mm with proper IMAX cameras
- Opens wide on 17 July
- Special midnight launch kicks off a continuous IMAX weekend at BFI
- Reported runtime: 172 minutes (yep, nearly three hours—pack snacks)
Meet the Cast—Some Usual Suspects, A Few Surprises
Nolan's clearly phoned up half of Hollywood for this one. Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, which is now his third team-up with Nolan after Interstellar and Oppenheimer. The supporting crew looks like a 'who's who' of Oscar bait: Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron all join the party.
Screenplay, direction, and co-production? All Nolan, of course, sharing credit with his longtime producing partner (and actual spouse) Emma Thomas, under their Syncopy banner.