LOS ANGELES — Tickets to see Christopher Nolan's upcoming film, "The Odyssey," are now on sale for Imax 70mm screenings — a year ahead of the film's release.

Sixteen theaters across the U.S. are participating in these first screenings, including seven in California. As of Thursday morning, several of these theaters were already sold out for the film's July 16, 2026, early showing, including TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Regal Edwards Ontario Palace Stadium, Regal Irvine Spectrum and Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood.

Outside of the U.S., theaters in Canada, Britain, Australia and the Czech Republic are also selling Imax tickets a year in advance.

Universal Pictures' adaptation of Homer's Greek epic has generated a great amount of hype already, particularly because so many stars are attached to the project, including Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o and Matt Damon as Odysseus.

Imax did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Universal referred questions to Imax and exhibitors.

Imax, a Canadian company that operates out of Playa Vista, has emerged as a major box office revenue generator. Films shown on Imax are reaping bigger box office totals, helped in part by higher ticket prices — which is a powerful allure for studios and filmmakers. Audiences also perceive movies shown on Imax to be more of an event, which can draw them from their homes and into theaters.

Nolan's previous film, the best picture Oscar-winning "Oppenheimer," was filmed with Imax specifically in mind and used the company's cameras. The 2023 film ended up grossing over $975 million globally, a staggering sum for an R-rated historical drama.

Directors Denis Villeneuve ("Dune") and Ryan Coogler ("Sinners") are also fans of the Imax format.

As Imax's clout with studios has increased, several large U.S. theater chains such as Cinemark, Regal and Marcus have had early talks about jointly marketing their own big-screen theaters to counter Imax's influence throughout the industry, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

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