Christopher Nolan is once again redefining cinematic ambition — this time by tackling one of the oldest stories ever told with one of the most advanced film formats ever created. His upcoming feature, The Odyssey, a retelling of Homer’s legendary tale, will become the first blockbuster in history to be shot entirely on Imax film cameras.
Nolan, long known for his devotion to celluloid and large-format filmmaking, has previously employed Imax in select sequences of Dunkirk, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer. But until now, technical limitations — heavy, noisy cameras and slow film processing — made full-length Imax shooting impractical. Following the success of Oppenheimer, which grossed over $190 million on Imax screens alone, the director challenged the company to rethink its tools. The result: redesigned Imax film cameras that are 30% quieter, significantly lighter, and paired with a new system for rapid 70mm film scanning.
"Chris called me up and said, 'If you can solve the problems, I’ll shoot Odyssey 100 percent in Imax,'" recalled Imax CEO Rich Gelfond during the company’s annual press event in Cannes. That nudge pushed Imax to overhaul its analogue hardware for the first time in years — and the upgrades will eventually become available to other filmmakers after Nolan wraps production. 
With a record number of major titles now shooting 'for Imax,' including Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 8 and Joseph Kosinski’s F1 with Brad Pitt, the format’s resurgence is real. But with The Odyssey, Nolan appears ready to chart entirely new waters — not just for ancient heroes, but for the future of cinema itself.
