‘The Odyssey’ Fans Are Desperate as 2 AM and 7 AM IMAX Screenings Sell Out

Christopher Nolan has made a name for himself by transforming theater visits into unforgettable events, and ‘The Odyssey’ may be his most significant achievement yet. This adaptation of Homer, featuring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway, has become such a cultural phenomenon that standard showtimes are no longer sufficient. Moviegoers are adjusting their schedules and even sacrificing sleep to experience it the way Nolan envisioned.

This intention is particularly crucial here. ‘The Odyssey’ is the first Hollywood feature film shot entirely in the IMAX 70mm format, leading cinephiles to believe that anything less than the authentic experience isn’t worth their time. With only 41 locations worldwide offering this format, attending a screening has turned into a scavenger hunt.

A video shared by X user highlighted this scarcity, showcasing a packed 7 a.m. IMAX 70mm screening with every seat filled. This isn’t an isolated incident; theaters have been compelled to add showtimes at increasingly odd hours. Even slots as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 2 a.m. have seen ‘The Odyssey’ screenings completely sell out in New York through mid-August.

The demand has surged to the point where resale prices have skyrocketed. One eBay seller successfully sold three pairs of tickets to AMC Lincoln Square 13 for $999, with other listings reaching even higher for prime seating. The situation in New York is particularly dire, as Lincoln Square 13 is the only venue in the city equipped for this format, boasting the largest screen in the country at 75.6 feet tall.

The issue isn’t about interest exceeding supply indefinitely; rather, it’s that the supply cannot physically expand. Only 25 theaters in the U.S. can show the film in IMAX 70mm, and as IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond explains, the necessary film projectors haven’t been manufactured in decades. There’s no quick solution for such a hardware shortage.

For those willing to forgo the format, tickets for standard Dolby and Laser screenings are readily available. However, diehard fans pursuing the full 70mm experience continue their quest. Interviews with fans camping out for these screenings reveal that it’s less about the star power and more about the format itself. One moviegoer in New York perfectly captured this sentiment, stating to Variety that he needed to see the movie the way Nolan intended, even if it meant sacrificing his entire Friday.

Would you set an alarm for a 7 a.m. showing just to see ‘The Odyssey’ as Nolan filmed it, or would you opt for a standard Dolby screening instead?