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‘The Odyssey’ Smashes ‘Star Wars’ Record Over London’s BFI Imax Opening Weekend
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has broken the all-time opening weekend box office record at the British Film Institute's Imax cinema, the UK's largest screen, overtaking a mark previously held by "Star Wars: The Last Jedi". The film, shot entirely on Imax cameras, topped the global Imax venue rankings over its 17-19 July opening weekend, underlining the intense demand for Nolan's latest epic and reinforcing the enduring appeal of large-format cinema presentations.
The three-hour film took £219,867 ($296,147) over three days from the single BFI Imax screen, edging out "The Last Jedi's" £216,454, with Nolan's own "Oppenheimer" now pushed into third place on £207,677. Since release, the venue has sold more than 82,000 tickets for the film, generating almost £2.17m and a 94 percent occupancy rate, while 173 consecutive Imax 70mm screenings across eight weeks have sold out, drawing audiences from as far as Singapore, Los Angeles and Toronto; the BFI says further screenings will be added to meet demand.
In short
- "The Odyssey" sets new BFI Imax opening weekend box office record
- Beats "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", pushes "Oppenheimer" to third
- 173 straight sold-out 70mm screenings; more dates planned
Explained simply
Christopher Nolan's latest film, "The Odyssey", was shot entirely using Imax cameras, a large-format cinema technology that creates exceptionally detailed and vivid images on specially designed massive screens. The British Film Institute's Imax in London is the UK's largest cinema screen and a key venue for measuring audience appetite for this type of experience.
Christopher Nolan is a British-American director known for ambitious, large-scale films such as "Oppenheimer", "Inception" and "The Dark Knight" trilogy. He has become a prominent figure in championing large-format cinema, choosing to shoot his films using Imax and other advanced cinematography technologies.
Large-format cinema has faced uncertain prospects as audiences increasingly consume films at home through streaming services and smaller screens. How audiences respond to films specifically designed for theatrical presentation in venues like the BFI Imax reflects broader questions about whether cinemas can maintain their role in the film industry.