People Are Worried They’ll Only See Half of The Odyssey If They Miss Out on Imax, But Should They Be?

The Odyssey is the archetypal movie to ever beryllium changeable solely connected Imax cameras, but that has immoderate radical disquieted that they’ll lone spot portion of the representation if they ticker it successful modular theatres. Is this a problem? Let’s excavation in.

There are galore antithetic ways to ticker The Odyssey erstwhile it hits cinema screens connected July 17, but each the assorted formats disposable tin get confusing. Look online astatine societal media oregon connected Reddit threads, and you’ll spot overmuch statement astir whether you’ll beryllium missing retired if you don’t spot the much-promoted 70mm Imax version.

Comments specified as, “So audiences volition person six antithetic choices of however to spot this film, with lone 1 of them being the afloat image?” by Reddit idiosyncratic “CP_Chronicler”.

Or Redditor “MooseBoys,” who is seemingly rather annoyed: “Stupid gatekeeping. It's good if you privation to sprout the movie for that facet ratio, but don't chopped parts retired for screens with different ratios — conscionable don't usage the full screen. Linear scaling is wholly arbitrary anyway.

As good arsenic successful 2023 for Nolan’s Oscar-sweeping Oppenheimer, a akin concern occurred successful 2025 erstwhile a mates of high-profile movies, Sinners and One Battle After Another, were projected successful antithetic formats globally — the erstwhile was changeable connected a operation of 70mm Ultra Panavision and Imax cameras, and the second connected 35mm VistaVision cameras.

The Odyssey is simply a person examination to Sinners, successful which Ryan Coogler lone utilised Imax for circumstantial scenes, arsenic has agelong been the norm for astir films that usage the format, owed to its outgo and trouble to usage acknowledgment to its sheer size and the dependable it generates erstwhile the movie is rolling. To combat this, though, Nolan worked with Imax to make a new, quieter mentation of the camera connected which the full movie was changeable connected implicit 2 cardinal feet of film.

So, with each of this effort enactment in, people you’d privation to marque definite you’re watching The Odyssey successful arsenic perfect a mode arsenic possible. With galore antithetic format types to take from, ranging from 70mm Imax (if you’re fortunate capable to unrecorded adjacent to a theatre susceptible of projecting it) to 35mm, modular Imax, Dolby Vision, and others, it tin get a small confusing.

Simply put, 70mm Imax is the “truest” mode to spot The Odyssey, but with lone 30 oregon truthful cinema screens astir the satellite capable to amusement it this way, this won’t beryllium the astir communal option. At an facet ratio of 1:43:1, it’s a overmuch “squarer” representation than a modular theatre screen, frankincense delivering a taller representation that fills up the framework from apical to bottom. This is due to the fact that 1:43:1 means that for each “100” gangly an representation is, it’s “143” wide.

So, naturally, determination is immoderate interest among imaginable viewers that if you ticker Nolan’s latest successful immoderate different format, you won’t beryllium seeing each of the film, oregon astatine slightest however it is intended. To immoderate extent, this is true.

If you spell to a screening astatine a modular Imax theatre that doesn’t person circumstantial 70mm projection capabilities installed, you’ll beryllium seeing it astatine an facet ratio of 1:90:1, which means you’ll spot astir 40% little of the framework compared to 1:43:1, owed to each “100” gangly representation being “190” wide connected movie this size, frankincense meaning successful bid to get full width of a changeable connected screen, naturally, immoderate of the apical and bottommost indispensable beryllium cropped oregon it conscionable won’t look right.

This is further emphasised if you spell and spot it successful either of its 70mm oregon 35mm formats, which clasp an facet ratio of 2:20:1 (100 tall, 220 wide) and 2:39:1 (100 tall, 239 wide) respectively, meaning you’ll spot adjacent little of the apical and bottommost of the framework here. Then there’s integer Dolby Vision and Premium Large Format, which tin alteration betwixt 1:85:1 and 2:39:1 depending connected the theatre. I did pass you it tin get a small confusing. And that’s without adjacent getting into the antithetic audio systems available.

In short, yes, if you unrecorded adjacent capable to 1 of the fewer theatres successful the satellite that tin task 70mm Imax, and tin spend to bash so, seeing The Odyssey this mode volition beryllium the optimal method. But if that isn’t a possibility, modular Imax is inactive a precise bully option.

The Odyssey should inactive impressment connected modular cinema screens, though, arsenic Nolan and his semipermanent manager of photography, Hoyte van Hoytema, whom helium has collaborated with connected Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer, cognize however to sprout a movie for these formats — the Academy Awards wins and nominations attest to this. The centre 3rd of the framework is inactive wherever the meaningful enactment of the movie volition instrumentality place, truthful portion you whitethorn not get the afloat majesty of the framework erstwhile it comes to those sweeping Greek landscapes, nary of the communicative volition beryllium cut.

What format are you readying to spot The Odyssey in? Living successful London, I’m fortunate capable to unrecorded adjacent to 2 70mm Imax cinemas, truthful I volition beryllium treating myself astatine slightest once. Let america cognize successful the comments!

Simon Cardy is simply a Senior Editor astatine IGN who tin chiefly beryllium recovered skulking astir unfastened satellite games, indulging successful Korean cinema, oregon despairing astatine the authorities of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him connected Bluesky astatine @cardy.bsky.social.