The Problem With The Odyssey ’s IMAX Hype
Christopher Nolan's new film, 'The Odyssey', is the first commercial feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras, but most theaters cannot project the film in its intended format. The article critiques the marketing hype surrounding the IMAX experience when the majority of audiences will see a cropped version.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between artistic intent in premium film formats and the practical limitations of theater infrastructure.
Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures / Everett Collection July 16, 2026, 7:24 PM ET Share Save This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.
An IMAX-film-camera system looks like the kind of device that could give you an X-ray. Weighing hundreds of pounds, it emits a constant, deafening mechanical roar that must be muted with a large encasement known as a sound blimp. The complete setup is big enough to block actors’ line of sight, sometimes preventing them from keeping eye contact with their scene partners. Shooting a movie this way is a cumbersome, expensive process; no filmmaker undertakes it lightly.
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