A promotional image for The Odyssey, which will feature Matt Damon as the titular Odysseus. Image: Universal Here's some exciting news for film Friday: Christopher Nolan's upcoming movie, The Odyssey, will be the first commercial feature film to be shot entirely using Imax film cameras, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While many of Nolan's previous blockbusters have made extensive use of the 65mm format, they've also had a varying number of scenes shot on 35mm film, due to the practical limitations of shooting with the large, noisy Imax cameras.
Imax CEO Rich Gelfond reportedly told members of the press at Cannes that the director asked the company to improve its cameras and workflow, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and it obliged. The cameras Nolan is using to shoot The Odyssey are reportedly lighter weight, 30% quieter and, currently, exclusive. THR says the new models have been set aside for him until the movie finishes filming, after which they'll be available for other directors to rent.
The company has also apparently improved how it processes and scans the film, which should help with the dailies process where filmmakers watch back the footage they shot the day before.
A frame of Imax film from Interstellar. This scene appears to have been shot on 35mm film, as it does not fill the entire film frame and has black borders on the top and bottom.
Photo: Mitchell Clark | Interstellar: Paramount Pictures
Theaters that can actually exhibit an Imax film movie in its original format are few and far between, using it for the entire movie has a benefit that pretty much all theater-goers may be able to enjoy. In previous Nolan movies, the aspect ratio has changed dramatically between shots filmed on 35mm and shots filmed on Imax. With The Odyssey, that likely won't be the case.
While Nolan's next movie may be the first feature-length commercial movie shot entirely with Imax film cameras, there is a reason the statement is so specific. Plenty of films have been shot entirely on Imax film; they've just been documentaries, the types of things that museums with Imax screens would show, rather than something general audiences would go to a theater to see. That barrier has also been crossed if you're willing to look outside of film: 2018's Avengers: Infinity War holds the title of the first Hollywood movie shot entirely with Imax cameras, though those were of the digital variety.
Plenty of films have been shot entirely on Imax
Still, it's exciting news for fans of films shot on. . . well, film. Even as other directors have increasingly moved towards digital production, Nolan has been a steadfast proponent of the format, and it's nice to see that he and his team are still pushing it forward.
If you're interested in learning more about the process of shooting and distributing a movie in Imax, director Ryan Coogler recently worked with Kodak to put out a great video on the topic. YouTuber Radioactive Drew also has a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the projection process for Oppenheimer, Nolan's previous film.
The Odyssey is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 17th, 2026.
. dpreview.com2025-5-17 00:43
