Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is evidently gearing up to be the ultimate cinematic event for the summer of 2026, and a major movie theater chain is on schedule to add new screens, seemingly because of this release. Nolan is following up his Best Picture-winning historical epic Oppenheimer with this adaptation of the Greek myth, pulling out all the stops to make another grand-scale epic.
The Odyssey stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Elliot Page, and Jon Bernthal, and will arrive in theaters on July 17, 2026. It is safely one of the most anticipated movies for next year, and many moviegoers will likely want to see it in a format that maximizes its sweeping visuals.
It is fitting, then, that Cinemark has announced that it will be adding new IMAX screens and 70-millimeter projection systems to locations in the United States and South America ahead of The Odyssey‘s release. Cinemark will build three new 70mm systems and four new IMAX screens with Laser systems in the U.S., resulting in three new locations offering the IMAX 70mm format.
These locations will be Cinemark Seven Bridges in the Woodridge suburb of Chicago, Cinemark Carefree Circle in Colorado Springs, and Cinemark Tinseltown in Rochester, in addition to Cinemark’s already existing IMAX 70mm location at Cinemark Webb Chapel in Dallas. 70mm is widely preferred by prestige directors, and there are currently only 30 theaters in the world offering the IMAX 70mm experience.
Cinemark will also be upgrading its other 12 IMAX screens to IMAX with Laser. IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said in a statement about this expansion with Cinemark:
Cinemark expanding its commitment to the very best of what Imax has to offer […] underscores the value we’re delivering for our exhibition partners in today’s marketplace. With a tremendous slate ahead in 2026 highlighted by a number of Filmed for Imax and Imax 70mm film releases, we look forward to working with Cinemark to deliver the most immersive cinematic experiences to its customers and growing the value of our longstanding partnership.
Movies like those produced by Nolan have increased the demand for such immersive viewing experiences. For instance, his previously divisive entry Interstellar recently returned to theaters and was a huge hit in IMAX; The Odyssey will likely have a similar appeal, though the story is set at sea rather than in space.
The Odyssey is rolling out ticket sales and marketing very early, trying to build every ounce of hype it possibly can before July 2026. Regardless of how much the forthcoming premiere of The Odyssey directly influenced Cinemark’s new initiative, the chain is also hyping up the project now, as well as others that people should experience in the most visually pristine format possible.
- Release Date
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July 17, 2026
- Producers
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Emma Thomas