IMAX China Going All-In on Nolan's 'The Odyssey'—Nearly 800 Screens Ready

IMAX China isn't playing around with Christopher Nolan's upcoming film The Odyssey. When it drops in mainland China on August 14th, the theater chain plans to dedicate nearly all 800 of its screens to the release—a massive flex that tells you everything about how much confidence they have in the project.

CEO Daniel Manwaring straight up told Variety the audience anticipation "is going to be enormous," and he's betting the farm on it. This isn't hyperbole either; rolling out that many screens simultaneously signals serious money moves. The so-called "Christopher Nolan Effect" is real—his name alone moves tickets in China and globally.

Look, this kind of saturation play only happens when a studio and exhibitor believe they've got a cultural moment on their hands. Whether The Odyssey delivers that kind of heat remains to be seen, but IMAX China clearly sees the opening as a major tent-pole event. For context, this level of commitment tells us the film is expected to be a serious box office player across the region.

The rollout strategy speaks volumes about post-pandemic theater confidence and Nolan's continued pull as a filmmaker who can pack seats internationally.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/news/the-odyssey-china-imax-rollout-800-screens-1236821684/