In an unprecedented move for a major studio film, tickets for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, The Odyssey, went on sale a full year before its scheduled release, with screenings in the director’s preferred IMAX 70mm format selling out almost immediately. The special advance sale covered screenings for the July 17-19, 2025, weekend, plus previews on July 16, across approximately 25 select locations worldwide.
Following an official announcement from IMAX, 95 percent of the available seats were purchased within the first hour, generating approximately $1.5 million in revenue from the limited number of showings. The intense demand fueled a secondary market, with tickets reportedly appearing on resale sites for $300 to $400, a steep increase from their average retail price of $25-$28. This marks the first time in cinematic history that tickets have been sold a year in advance.
The rapid sellouts occurred across the globe. In the United States, all advance IMAX 70mm screenings were quickly claimed at major venues like AMC Lincoln Square in New York City, the Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood, and Regal Irvine Spectrum in Orange County. Similar demand was seen in San Francisco, Dallas, and Fort Lauderdale. In Canada, Toronto’s Cineplex locations sold out instantly. Internationally, London’s prestigious BFI IMAX and Science Museum auditoriums, as well as theaters in Melbourne, Australia, and the Czech Republic, reported the same.
This historic ticket sale follows the monumental success of Nolan’s previous film, the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer, which earned over $190 million of its $975.8 million global gross from IMAX screens. The Odyssey, which is being shot entirely with IMAX film cameras—a first for a commercial feature film—carries a budget of $250 million, making it the most expensive project of Nolan’s career.
The film adapts the classic Greek myth of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, on his long and perilous journey home to his wife, Penelope, after the Trojan War. His decade-long voyage brings him face-to-face with mythical beings, including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the enchantress Circe. Matt Damon stars as the hero Odysseus, leading an ensemble cast that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, and Mia Goth.
Anticipation for the film was further stoked by an early teaser trailer that debuted exclusively in theaters with Universal’s summer blockbuster Jurassic World Rebirth. While releasing a teaser for a film still in production is unconventional, the studio capitalized on the large audience for Rebirth. Both the trailer and the news of the advance ticket sales were leaked online ahead of their official announcements, signaling the intense public interest in the project.
