Prague Cinema City Draws Thousands of Europeans for 70 mm IMAX The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan’s historical epic “The Odyssey” has turned Prague into an unlikely European destination for moviegoers. The Czech capital houses one of the world’s few analog projection setups capable of running the blockbuster in its native large-format glory. Released on July 17, the R-rated adaptation of Homer’s epic poem cost $250 million to produce and is distributed by Universal Pictures.

Cinema City in Prague Meets Continental Demand for 70 mm IMAX

There are only 41 70 mm IMAX screens globally, with the majority located in North America. Within the European Union, only Montpellier, France, and Brussels, Belgium, share the distinction alongside three locations in Britain. To handle the influx of travelers, Cinema City in Prague runs four to five screenings daily, including one after midnight, and the majority are sold out.

By Monday, July 27, 2026, ticket sales reached 22,000 for visitors coming from roughly 15 European countries, stretching from Scandinavia down to Spain. Film fans from about 15 European countries, from Scandinavia to Spain, have been coming to watch “The Odyssey” in Prague, Cinema City said. Among them was Daniel Jung, who drove with his two teenage sons, Felix and Leo, for three days from Norway through Denmark and Germany just to see this movie. Tomorrow, we’re going back.

“It completely changed my experience about the movie,” said Nicolas Walak from Poland, who also saw the movie before on a normal screen before viewing it in Prague. “Everything was great. It was a great movie.”

Nicolas Walak, moviegoer from Poland

Leo was in touch with Cinema City by email half a year before the July 16 premiere and followed the cinema operator on Instagram. He managed to book the tickets immediately, and traveling from Norway made the massive format absolutely worth it.

The Massive Logistics and Rare Equipment Behind 70 mm IMAX

The operational demands of running “The Odyssey” in true film format explain why so few theaters offer it. The production is the first feature made entirely with IMAX film cameras. The 70 mm IMAX film presentation is Nolan’s preferred format, with the Oscar-winning filmmaker calling it the best possible experience. Tomas Vysinsky prepares the 70 mm IMAX copy of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” for screening in Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, July 27, 2026.

Projection requirements are strict. Prague’s Cinema City preserved its original analog projection equipment when global cinemas shifted toward digital setups.

“We’re really grateful to him for that,”

Tomáš Vyšinský, projectionist

Vyšinský praised the predecessor who saved the vintage equipment from being discarded.

Box Office Numbers and Future Screen Availability

“The Odyssey” exploded at the box office this weekend, grossing over $260 million worldwide on its opening weekend, and premium formats accounted for 53% of all domestic grosses, with the 41 locations screening the film in Imax 70mm earning a per theater average of more than $100,000. A new group of tickets for Imax 70mm screenings of “The Odyssey” was released this week, with many of the new screenings selling out within hours. In New York and Los Angeles, there are no Imax 70mm tickets available through Aug. 19, a sign of the frenzy to see Christopher Nolan‘s epic in the premium large format. And in London, Imax 70mm screenings are sold out through Sept. 10, nearly two months after the film’s release. More screenings in Imax 70mm will be added to keep up with the intense demand.

Despite intense fan desire for more locations, expanding the footprint of 70 mm IMAX remains economically restrictive. Imax CEO Rich Gelfond said in response to a question about doubling the number of 70mm Imax projectors on Thursday’s earnings call, The economics are very difficult to meet.

“It’s very expensive. You need film prints, not only the projector, which costs $50,000 a piece to put in your theater. You need logistics like a forklift to lift them, so you need a very big projection booth,” he continued. “When you get through the numbers of it, there are a finite number of locations that really can support the economics of it.”

Rich Gelfond, IMAX CEO

While the upcoming Aug. 14 sci-fi survival flick The End of Oak Street (which also stars Anne Hathaway) and Zach Cregger’s take on “Resident Evil,” which comes out Sept. 18, will premiere in the premium format, an Imax spokesperson tells Variety the company’s next Imax 70mm commitment is to Dune: Part Three. That means it is not contractually obligated to give up those screens until the Denis Villeneuve film premieres in December. That said, the spokesperson indicated it is highly unlikely “The Odyssey” will play in Imax 70mm through that month, adding that it will likely return in the format multiple times until the end of the year. A similar craze happened in 2023 with Nolan’s last film, “Oppenheimer.” Imax extended the movie’s run in 70mm twice due to demand, but eventually, on Sept 1., exhibitors had to cede the screens to Denzel Washington’s The Equalizer 3. In February 2024, before the Oscars, “Oppenheimer” once again returned in Imax 70mm. “The Odyssey,” which is also generating awards buzz, will surely take a similar path, but it has a much longer runway with Imax 70mm than “Oppenheimer.”