By asahifile Cinemark Expands 70MM IMAX Screens Ahead of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’
As the movie industry continues to face challenges with audiences choosing home viewing over the theater experience, Cinemark is making strides to enhance the cinematic experience. Understanding that there’s nothing quite like immersing oneself in a film on the big screen, the theater chain is adding more IMAX screens, including those capable of handling 70mm film projection, to meet the demands of moviegoers seeking larger-than-life experiences.
Cinemark plans to install new IMAX screens at several locations, including Woodridge, Illinois; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Rochester, New York. Alongside these installations, they will introduce four IMAX with Laser systems — a 4K laser projection — at additional U.S. sites. Further upgrades will also be made to twelve existing IMAX screens across the Americas, ensuring that audiences receive the best possible visual experience.
As reported by Variety, Cinemark aims to have the new IMAX 70mm film screens operational by July 17, 2026, in anticipation of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey. This film marks a significant moment in cinema, as it will be entirely shot in IMAX, and currently, only a limited number of movie theaters globally—approximately 30—can present films in this coveted format, preferred by Nolan himself.
The rise of IMAX’s popularity among viewers is evident, with many IMAX 70mm showings for The Odyssey reportedly selling out a year in advance, underscoring the demand for premium viewing experiences. Beyond IMAX, other limited-format films are also gaining traction; for instance, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is currently being showcased in the VistaVision format for the first time in six decades, in select theaters.
This strategic move by Cinemark reflects the ongoing trend of enhancing the movie-going experience to attract audiences back to theaters, aiming to offer a unique experience that cannot be replicated at home.
Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the release of The Odyssey and witness how these new screen installations impact the way films are experienced in theaters.