Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is set for a major mainland China release on more than 20,000 screens, including about 90% of the country’s nearly 800 Imax sites. The unusually broad Imax commitment signals strong distributor and exhibitor confidence in the Universal film, despite “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continuing to perform well in Chinese cinemas.

Advance ticket sales had reached RMB39.5 million (£4.4 million/$5.9 million) by 12 August, while previews and presales together totalled RMB91 million (£10.1 million/$13.5 million) ahead of the 14 August release. Maoyan Pro forecast a RMB70.4 million (£7.8 million/$10.4 million) opening day, supported by a China publicity tour featuring Nolan, producer Emma Thomas and stars Matt Damon and Charlize Theron. Nolan’s previous films “Oppenheimer” and “Tenet” each earned about $61 million in China, while more than 250,000 users registered interest in “The Odyssey” before presales began.