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Fans travel worldwide to see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in IMAX 1570

moviesJul 14, 202636649

Cinephiles are flying to the handful of cinemas that can project Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey on 1570 IMAX prints, a format only 41 venues worldwide still support. The Odyssey is the first feature shot entirely on 1570 cameras, using 70mm stock with 15 perforations per frame; the cameras weighed about 180kg and required film changes every three minutes, prompting Nolan and IMAX to develop a soundproofing blimp to record dialogue. Melbourne’s IMAX is the only southern hemisphere venue with a 1570 reel of The Odyssey; that reel runs more than 17km, weighs 240kg, and is described by technical manager Dan Drobik as a “precious commodity.” Imax Melbourne general manager Jeremy Fee says there are only seven 1570-capable cinemas outside North America, and patrons from Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and Los Angeles have traveled there to see the film. Melbourne’s screen measures 32m by 23m, is the largest 1.43:1 screen in the world, and sold more than 17,000 Odyssey tickets in under 24 hours; sales have since topped 30,000, making the film the venue’s eighth biggest ever before opening. German visitors Christian Wächter and Romy Demeter say they are traveling to Melbourne specifically to see the film on 1570, some planning trips or holidays around screenings to experience Nolan’s preferred presentation.

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