In what may be the longest pre-sale in cinematic history, tickets for Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey" went on sale Thursday and sold out within minutes across the globe an entire year before the film's scheduled release.
The blockbuster, starring Matt Damon as the legendary Greek hero Odysseus, isn't set to premiere until July 17, 2026. Yet, IMAX theatres in major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, London, and Melbourne, witnessed an unprecedented rush as fans scrambled to secure seats for opening weekend screenings.
The frenzy was immediate and intense. At Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, tickets for the July 16, 2026, showing were nearly sold out within three minutes of going live. London's prestigious BFI IMAX and Science Museum IMAX locations sold out entirely, while Melbourne's IMAX Theatre moved approximately 1,800 tickets across four screenings overnight.
"We worship Nolan here," joked Jeremy Fee, general manager of IMAX Melbourne, acknowledging the director's devoted fanbase. "The superfans for Nolan and there are many of them are just getting excited about being able to access The Odyssey earlier than anyone else."
The tickets were specifically for screenings in IMAX 1570 format, the largest and highest-resolution film format in existence, requiring specialised equipment available at only 26 theatres worldwide. This ultra-premium format, featuring 15 perforations along each frame and 70mm height, is Nolan's preferred medium for his ambitious projects.
"The Odyssey" represents another filmmaking milestone for Nolan, who has been championing IMAX technology since 2008's "The Dark Knight." While his Oscar-winning "Oppenheimer" was the first movie shot entirely with IMAX 65mm film, "The Odyssey" will be the first commercial feature filmed entirely on IMAX film cameras.
To achieve this, Nolan convinced IMAX to develop new cameras quiet enough to record dialogue, a significant technical breakthrough that opens new possibilities for large-format filmmaking.
The commercial implications are substantial. IMAX screenings accounted for $190 million, roughly 20%, of "Oppenheimer's" $975.8 million global box office. Industry insiders expect "The Odyssey" to perform even better, with Fee predicting it could surpass "Oppenheimer" as IMAX's most successful feature-length film.
However, the early success has attracted unwanted attention. Within hours of the initial sale, scalpers began reselling tickets online for $300-400, prompting theatre managers to reassure fans that many more screenings would eventually be available.
The decision to sell tickets so far in advance is a calculated move to build anticipation for what promises to be one of 2026's biggest releases. The film chronicles Odysseus's perilous journey home after the Trojan War, featuring an ensemble cast including Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson.
IMAX Melbourne has already seen "cinema tourists" booking flights from Sydney and New Zealand specifically to attend these early screenings, highlighting the global reach of Nolan's influence.
While the film hasn't finished shooting and has no official runtime, the early ticket sales demonstrate the enduring power of Nolan's brand and the public's appetite for premium cinematic experiences. For devoted fans, waiting a year to see "The Odyssey" in its intended format is a small price to pay for guaranteed seats to what could be the director's most ambitious project yet.
