The Philly region has a rare way to see "The Odyssey"
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The premiere of "The Odyssey." Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures.
The Philadelphia region is home to one of the few U.S. theaters where you can see Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" as the director intended — on a 70mm IMAX screen.
The big picture: Nolan fans are going bonkers over it. Some fans bought tickets a year ago, others delayed their pregnancies or went on cross-country road trips to see the film in its proper format, Variety reports.
- And the summer epic just had a blockbuster opening weekend, with a commanding $125 million in domestic ticket sales and another $140 million overseas.
Context: Nolan's preferred presentation format, on 70mm IMAX screens, offers the highest-quality image and sound from the original film.
- Nolan previously showed some of his films in 70mm — like "Oppenheimer" — but "Odyssey" was the first narrative film to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras, according to IMAX.
- "IMAX is the best film format that was ever invented. It's the gold standard and what any other technology has to match up to, but none have," Nolan said in a press release.
State of play: The Regal UA in King of Prussia is the only theater in Pennsylvania where you can see the flick on a 70mm IMAX screen.
- It's one of only 25 theaters in the U.S. equipped with the high-tech screen.
Yes, but: Good luck getting tickets there anytime soon.
- They've practically sold out for showtimes all this week, per the theater's website.
How it works: A standard film strip is 35mm. A 70mm print is physically larger, allowing for higher image resolution.
- IMAX screens also display a taller image, letting audiences see more of the frame.
- Normally, filmmakers will only film parts of their movie on IMAX since the cameras for it are bulky and expensive.
The other side: Don't worry — you can still check out "The Odyssey" in other formats.
- Moviegoers can see the film in IMAX digital and "exhibitor PLFs" — large screen formats developed by theater chains, like Regal RPX and Cinemark XD.
- It'll also be available in Dolby Cinema, a high-quality film experience that generated millions in 2025 because of fan demand.
1 bummer: Philly proper has no IMAX theaters anymore.
- But there are regular IMAX theaters in Cherry Hill, Bensalem, Warrington and Wilmington, Delaware.