Imax China Prepares Full ‘Odyssey’ Rollout Across Nearly 800 Screens as CEO Cites the ‘Christopher Nolan Effect’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Imax China is set to devote nearly all of its roughly 800-screen network to Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" when it opens in mainland China on 14 August, with CEO Daniel Manwaring telling Variety that audience anticipation "is going to be enormous." Nolan and star Matt Damon will attend a red carpet event in Beijing on 30 July, marking the first such occasion held for a commercial film at the China National Film Museum, a venue that previously hosted "Avatar's" Chinese launch.
Preview screenings begin on 1 and 2 August in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen ahead of the wide release, and early results elsewhere are strong, with Imax's box office share already exceeding 30% in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. According to ticketing platform Maoyan Pro, "want to see" registrations for the film had passed 252,000 by 24 July, the highest of any upcoming imported title, though still behind "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" (810,000) and local hit "Kung Fu Soccer" (649,000); mainland pre-sales have yet to open.
In short
- Imax China to dedicate nearly all 800 screens to "The Odyssey" from 14 August.
- Nolan and Matt Damon attend historic Beijing red carpet on 30 July.
- Film leads imported-title anticipation with 252,000+ "want to see" registrations.
Explained simply
Imax is a cinema format that displays films on specially designed larger screens using advanced projection technology. Chinese distributor Imax China operates roughly 800 such screens across mainland China, making it a major cinema chain.
Christopher Nolan is a film director whose movies consistently achieve major commercial success worldwide. His films are known for their ambitious storytelling and visual scale, which have made him one of the most commercially reliable names in cinema.
The Chinese film market is the world's second-largest after the United States, making it crucial for global film releases. When a major cinema operator commits nearly all of its screens to a single film, it typically indicates strong confidence in that film's commercial appeal.
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