- The Alex Theatre in Glendale is screening Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm starting July 16, 2026 — a full day before the film opens nationwide on July 17.
- The Odyssey is the first feature film in history shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, making true 70mm projection the definitive way to see it.
- The Alex Theatre is one of only a few dozen venues in the entire country capable of projecting true 70mm film — a genuinely rare setup that most cities simply do not have.
- Demand for IMAX 70mm tickets has been extraordinary, with virtual queues forming within hours of advance tickets going on sale — so availability is tightening fast.
- There is more to understand about what IMAX 15-perf 70mm actually delivers on screen, and why it is a fundamentally different experience than any digital format.
Christopher Nolan’s upcoming mythic epic The Odyssey — starring Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, and Robert Pattinson — arrives in theaters July 17, 2026. For cinephiles chasing the absolute best possible version of this film, one date matters more: July 16, when the Alex Theatre in Glendale opens its doors for 70mm screenings a full 24 hours ahead of the nationwide wide release.
Alex Theatre Opens July 16 — One Day Before Wide Release
The Alex Theatre will present The Odyssey in 70mm film from July 16 through August 6, 2026. That July 16 start date is not a small detail — it positions the Alex among the earliest venues in the country to screen the film, giving Nolan fans in the Los Angeles area first access to what is shaping up to be a landmark cinematic event.
Advance tickets for select IMAX 70mm screenings went on sale well ahead of release, triggering long virtual queues as fans rushed to lock in seats. Deadline reported that some AMC customers faced wait times of up to an hour — driven by genuine demand, not technical glitches — a direct reflection of how limited true 70mm capacity is across the country. Tickets for the Alex’s 70mm run of The Odyssey are available now at cinema.thealex.com, and given the pace at which 70mm seats have been moving nationwide, waiting is a real risk.
The film runs through early August, offering multiple chances to see it — but prime July 16 opening-night slots are the kind of seats that do not stick around.
Why IMAX 70mm Is the Only Way Nolan Shot This Film
This is not just a movie being presented in IMAX. Every single frame of The Odyssey was captured on IMAX film cameras — a first in the history of narrative filmmaking. That distinction matters enormously when choosing a format to watch it in.
The First Feature Ever Shot Entirely on IMAX Cameras
Nolan and his longtime cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema — who has shot Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer together — pushed into new territory to make The Odyssey. The decision was not made lightly. Van Hoytema told Empire magazine that he shot IMAX test footage of a child reciting David Bowie’s Sound and Vision lyrics in close-up, to prove that IMAX film cameras could handle intimate dialogue scenes with the required emotional weight. The test was convincing enough that Nolan committed to shooting the entire film — not just action sequences or wide vistas — in the format.
Universal Pictures and IMAX have both described the result as a film designed from the ground up to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. As Anne Hathaway explains in the film’s format guide, the film was shot and designed to be experienced on the biggest screen possible, and IMAX delivers on this — filling the viewer’s entire field of vision for the most immersive cinematic experience. Watching a digital version of The Odyssey is a bit like listening to a symphony through a phone speaker — it works, but something foundational is missing.
What 15-Perf 70mm Actually Means for the Image
IMAX 15/70 film is a genuinely different medium than anything digital. Here is what that means in practical terms:
- 15 perforations per frame: Each frame runs horizontally through the projector — not vertically like standard film — spanning 15 perforations. That is roughly ten times the frame size of a standard 35mm frame.
- Equivalent to 18K resolution: A single three-hour movie in IMAX 70mm is an 11-mile-long, 600-pound physical reel of film. The sheer data density packed into that celluloid delivers an 18K-equivalent resolution — far beyond anything digital cinema currently offers.
- 1.43:1 aspect ratio: IMAX 70mm fills screens measuring roughly 59 by 79 feet in a nearly square 1.43:1 ratio — designed to occupy a viewer’s full field of vision, top to bottom and side to side.
- Analog depth and color: Film projects light through celluloid, producing a warmth, grain, and tonal richness that digital formats replicate but do not quite match.
As Matt Damon describes it in the film’s format guide, each film frame has 15 perforations and runs horizontally through the projector, making it the largest format available. Every frame was shot in IMAX, and in the theater, audiences will feel the full impact of how it was shot. That is the promise — and in true 70mm, it is a promise the format can physically keep.
What Makes the Alex Theatre Rare
Access to IMAX 70mm is not just a matter of buying the right ticket — it requires a theater that is actually built for it. Most venues, even premium ones, simply are not equipped.
One of Only a Few Dozen True 70mm Venues in the U.S.
Across the entire United States, only a few dozen theaters can screen true 70mm film. That is not an exaggeration — it is a reflection of how specialized the projection infrastructure is. The Alex Theatre in Glendale is one of them. Other Los Angeles-area venues with 70mm capability include the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre and Egyptian Theatre, but the list is genuinely short. For most Americans, the nearest 70mm screen requires real effort to reach.
The Alex’s position in Glendale — just minutes from central Los Angeles — makes it one of the most accessible 70mm venues for the region’s large concentration of film enthusiasts. That accessibility, combined with its place in the very small circle of true 70mm-capable theaters, makes it a meaningful destination rather than just a convenient one.
70mm Projection Prepared Specifically for The Odyssey
For these screenings, the Alex Theatre has prepared its 70mm projection specifically to present The Odyssey the way Nolan intended. This is a venue with established 70mm capability making a deliberate, technically demanding commitment to honor both the format and the film. That kind of institutional dedication to film projection is increasingly rare, and it reflects a genuine curatorial approach to cinema rather than just a programming decision.
Demand Is High and Tickets Are Selling Out Fast
The numbers tell a clear story. When advance IMAX 70mm tickets went on sale ahead of the July 17 release date, demand immediately overwhelmed theater websites. Virtual queues stretched to hour-long waits. That level of urgency is not manufactured hype; it is a direct consequence of simple math: an enormous audience chasing a tiny number of available 70mm seats.
The Odyssey carries the weight of Nolan’s post-Oppenheimer momentum — seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture — a star-studded ensemble cast, and the historic distinction of being the first narrative feature shot entirely on IMAX cameras. Each of those factors amplifies demand independently. Together, they have created a situation where IMAX 70mm tickets are among the most sought-after cinema seats in recent memory. The Alex’s run extends through August 6, but the July 16 opening-night slots and the opening week more broadly represent the premium seats that film-first audiences want most. Once those are gone, they are gone.
Secure Your Seat at the Alex Before July 16
For anyone serious about seeing The Odyssey the way it was made — on a massive 70mm screen, with the full 1.43:1 aspect ratio filling the field of vision, in one of only a handful of venues in the country capable of delivering it — the window to act is now. The July 16 start date at the Alex Theatre is a genuine opportunity to be among the very first audiences to experience the film before it opens to the general public on July 17.
The format alone justifies the effort. An 18K-equivalent resolution image on a screen spanning nearly 80 feet wide, projected from an 11-mile-long reel of physical film, in a historic Glendale theater with 70mm projection prepared specifically for this run — that is not a casual moviegoing experience. It is a rare convergence of a landmark film, the right format, and the right venue. Tickets are available now, and given how quickly 70mm seats have moved at venues across the country, securing a spot sooner rather than later is the practical move.
The Alex Theatre has been Glendale’s home for landmark cinematic experiences for decades, and this 70mm run of The Odyssey is exactly the kind of event that makes that legacy matter.
The Alex Theatre
letsconnect@thealex.com
+1 818 254 8458
216 N Brand Blvd
Glendale
CA
91203
United States
