Nolan’s “Odyssey” will be the first movie shot entirely on IMAX film

The movie company developed new cameras specifically for this project. Christopher Nolan is rewriting the rules again. His new adaptation of The Odyssey will be the first feature film in history shot entirely on IMAX film. Until now, no director has used this format for the entirety of a feature film.

Although Marvel had already shot “Avengers: Infinity War” entirely on IMAX cameras, it was done digitally. Nolan took it a step further – and brought analog film back into play.

IMAX had to build the cameras from scratch

At a press lunch at the Cannes Film Festival, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond revealed that the idea for the project began with a challenge from Nolan himself.

MAX CEO Rich Gelfond said that the idea for the project began with a challenge from Nolan himself.

“Chris called me and said: ‘If you solve all the technical problems, I’ll shoot ‘The Odyssey’ entirely on IMAX.’ That’s what we did,” Gelfond told The Hollywood Reporter.

For the project, the company redesigned both cameras and image processing methods. The new models are 30 percent lighter and quieter than previous models. And new scanning and film developing technologies have made it easier and faster to review footage on set. The cameras are currently available only to Nolan, but other filmmakers will be able to use them in the future.

Nolan has been pushing IMAX forward for a long time

The director has remained a major proponent of the IMAX format since 2008, when he first used such cameras to shoot action scenes in “The Dark Knight.”

He hasn’t changed the format since. In “Oppenheimer” (2023), Nolan was the first to shoot scenes on 65mm black-and-white IMAX film developed specifically for the project with Kodak. The cameraman at the time was Hoyte van Hoytema – who is also working on “The Odyssey.” The movie is expected to premiere in the summer of 2026.

The Nolan’s “The Odyssey” will be the first movie shot entirely on IMAX film was first published on ITZine.ru.