Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" Tickets Sell Out in Record Time
In an unprecedented move, tickets for Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film The Odyssey went on sale a full year before its release. Fans can experience the cinematic masterpiece in IMAX 70mm film—Nolan’s preferred format—at select locations during the July 17-19 weekend, with additional Thursday afternoon screenings on July 16.
Starring Matt Damon as the legendary hero Odysseus, The Odyssey marks a groundbreaking achievement as it is being filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, a first for any commercial feature film. IMAX officially announced the special ticket offer via social media at midnight ET, and within just one hour, an astonishing 95% of seats were sold, generating approximately $1.5 million in revenue from a limited number of available seats.
As the night progressed, ticket resale prices skyrocketed on platforms like eBay, with listings reaching between $300 and $400, compared to the original retail price of $25-$28. This historic ticket launch is a first in the film industry, occurring a year ahead of the film’s premiere.
A follow-up to Nolan’s Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, which enjoyed tremendous success in IMAX theaters, The Odyssey currently has around 16 IMAX locations in the U.S. participating in the initial ticket sales. Notably, theaters such as AMC Lincoln Square 13 in New York City, Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood, and Regal Irvine Spectrum in Orange County have already sold out for the July weekend and preview showings.
In California, IMAX venues in San Francisco, Dublin, and Ontario are nearly sold out, while additional sell-outs have been reported in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Buford, Georgia; Indianapolis, Indiana; Grand Rapids, Michigan; King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; and Dallas, Texas. Canadian locations, including Cineplex Cinemas Mississauga Square and Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan in Toronto, also quickly filled their seats. Across the pond, London’s renowned BFI IMAX and the Science Museum IMAX have both sold out, as well as IMAX theaters in Melbourne, Australia, and locations in the Czech Republic.
Notably, IMAX contributed over $190 million to Oppenheimer‘s impressive global gross of $975.8 million, accounting for 20% of its total earnings. With a net budget of $250 million, The Odyssey is set to become the most expensive film in Nolan’s career.
Following the remarkable success of Oppenheimer, which has solidified Nolan’s reputation as a director capable of creating compelling all-audience films, The Odyssey promises to captivate audiences with its epic storyline and star-studded cast. In addition to Damon, the film features Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Mia Goth.
The narrative follows the king of Ithaca, Odysseus, as he embarks on a formidable journey back to his wife Penelope after the Trojan War, facing numerous mythical challenges along the way, including encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the enchantress Circe, as well as a treacherous trip to the Underworld.
A teaser trailer for The Odyssey premiered exclusively in theaters ahead of Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth, which opened during the Fourth of July weekend. Although the film is still in production, the early trailer release presented a unique promotional opportunity that Universal and Nolan’s team seized, even amidst some leaks about advance ticket sales.
Get ready for The Odyssey—a cinematic journey that promises to be nothing short of legendary!
