Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is already making waves ahead of its Friday release. After record-breaking advance bookings and glowing early reviews, the filmmaker's latest epic has inspired fans to travel across continents to watch it in the rare IMAX 1570 format.
The film is the first feature ever shot entirely using IMAX 1570 cameras, but only 41 cinemas worldwide can project the format, making it one of the most exclusive theatrical experiences.
Fans Travel Miles For The Odyssey
Among them, IMAX Melbourne has emerged as a hotspot. As the only cinema hall in the Southern Hemisphere screening The Odyssey in IMAX 1570, it has attracted moviegoers from Germany, Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia, Los Angeles and several other places, as per a report by The Guardian.
"We are only one of 41 cinemas across the globe where you can see it in the way that Nolan created the film," IMAX Melbourne general manager Jeremy Fee was quoted as saying in the report. "There's only seven outside North America... people do seek out that really special experience."
Fee added that several fans have even planned entire holidays around a single screening.
The theatre also features the world's largest 1.43:1 IMAX screen, measuring 32 metres wide and 23 metres high. More than 17,000 tickets were sold within 24 hours when bookings opened, while advance sales have crossed 30,000, making The Odyssey the venue's eighth biggest title before release, according to the report.
A Rare IMAX Experience
Nolan's ambitious production came with challenges. The IMAX 1570 cameras weigh around 180 kilograms, require film changes every three minutes, and are too noisy for normal dialogue recording. To solve the problem, Nolan worked with IMAX to create a soundproof housing for the cameras called ‘blimp'. The finished film print is equally remarkable, stretching more than 17 kilometres and weighing about 240 kilograms, the report mentions.
ALSO READ: The Odyssey Release: IMAX Ticket Prices Skyrocket In India — Check Cost In Metro Cities
German couple Christian Wächter and Romy Demeter are among those travelling to Melbourne specifically to watch the film twice.
"Because it's the biggest 1570 screen in the world," Wächter was quoted as saying, comparing the trip to travelling for the World Cup or Formula One. "We're just paying a small amount, but for a cultural experience. I think it makes sense."
Demeter revealed that her grandmother laughed at the idea, while Wächter said his father still struggles to understand why someone would travel overseas just to watch a movie.
Projectionist Dan Drobik compared IMAX 1570 to listening to music on vinyl instead of a CD. "They are both playing you the same song, but one is a much earthier, richer, sort of natural feeling," he said.
Interest in the format has surged since Oppenheimer, increasing the number of IMAX 1570-equipped cinemas from 30 to 41 worldwide. Fee believes audiences are now paying as much attention to film formats as the films themselves.
As The Odyssey heads to theatres, many fans believe seeing it exactly as Nolan intended is worth every mile of the journey.
ALSO READ: The Odyssey Decoded: Everything You Should Know Before Watching Christopher Nolan Film
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
