‘The Odyssey’ Prologue Screening in IMAX Theaters

After a short lull in promotion following the teaser trailer that was released during Jurassic World Rebirth, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is returning to theaters with a new extended look. Nolan has become well-known at this point for releasing what have now been called “prologues” of his films before release, generating hype in a way that a regular trailer couldn’t. However, there is one unfortunate catch with this upcoming new look at The Odyssey: it will only be shown before select IMAX 70mm re-issues of One Battle After Another and Sinners, though a shortened version of this new “trailer” will be shown before Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Thankfully, Variety also reports that this new prologue for The Odyssey will continue to run exclusively before IMAX screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash, regardless of whether it is IMAX 70mm or digital screenings. Still, the fact that Nolan and Universal are choosing to debut this brand-new look at The Odyssey with IMAX 70mm screenings of movies that were already released this year makes perfect sense: it’s the format that Nolan prefers, and helps to champion the theatrical experience the filmmaker has constantly advocated for, especially in recent years. The director making Oppenheimer in IMAX 70mm greatly contributed to the film’s cultural impact, and even its financial success, with these special screenings selling out.

The Prologue for ‘The Odyssey’ Will Play Before the Biggest Films, on the Biggest Screens

Universal Studios

Sinners and One Battle After Another are also films that were shot on special formats, with the former also utilizing IMAX 70mm film and the latter being shot on a mix of digital as well as VistaVision cameras and film. The reissue of these two films at the end of the year signals how much the theatrical experience has been essential to how a movie is viewed this year, with things like the IMAX aspect ratio creating a unique viewing that simply cannot be replicated at home. To that end, having the prologue for The Odyssey premiere before these two films in particular (made by filmmakers who have a friendship with Nolan) also feels symbolic: these special theatrical outings aren’t going away, and there is another one to look forward to in summer 2026.

The marketing for The Odyssey has already proven itself to be unlike anything in recent memory, or even for any of Nolan’s past films. Following the massive success of Oppenheimer, Universal has continued to bet on the hype surrounding the filmmaker, even going so far as to begin selling tickets for the movie a year in advance, with those IMAX 70mm showings subsequently selling out, and even being resold on eBay for ridiculous prices.

Even if you’re not able to make it out to a showing of Sinners or One Battle After Another, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash will also serve as the perfect opportunity to experience the prologue for The Odyssey, as long as it is an IMAX showing. Given the financial track record of Cameron and his films, the movie will also serve as the perfect global stage to reveal the new look at Nolan’s epic.