Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ sparks $4,680 ticket frenzy over rare IMAX 70mm screenings

Christopher Nolan's epic "The Odyssey" has taken the global box office by storm, with its IMAX 70mm version sparking a ticket frenzy as only 41 cinemas worldwide can project the format, with resale tickets on eBay reaching US$600 (about HK$4,680).

The film, adapted from Homer's epic and starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway, has grossed an estimated HK$2 billion in its opening week – a career best for Nolan. The director shot the entire film with IMAX film cameras, a format that requires IMAX 70mm projection to deliver the highest resolution.

IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said demand is enormous, but no new IMAX film projectors have been manufactured for about 50 years, with many core components no longer available and design blueprints lost due to poor maintenance. Few engineers now know how to operate or repair the system.

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Of the 41 cinemas capable of screening the format, 25 are in the US, with the rest in Canada, the UK, Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic and France. Hong Kong has no IMAX 70mm-capable cinemas. Pre-sale tickets sold out within an hour a year in advance.

A British man living in Tokyo reportedly flew to London to watch the film as Japan's release is not until September, spending £1,300 (about HK$13,700) on the trip.

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