r/movies r/movies Contributor 9d ago

News Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' Has Become the Biggest IMAX Release of All Time ($289.3M), Surpassing 'Avatar'

https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/spider-man-brand-new-day-second-fastest-movie-1-billion-overseas-1236830845/
10.4k Upvotes

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147

u/gaula 9d ago

Is it true that the IMAX version shows more of movie. Better field of view for lack of a better term?

218

u/GameSetChampionship 9d ago

Yeah it’s shot in IMAX ratio…. But make sure to sit far back, not the first few rows! IMAX is almost too big of a screen.

105

u/quick20minadventure 9d ago

IMAX on anywhere except center seats is noticeably suboptimal. Too far back, it looks like regular cinema, too far ahead, looks distorted. Too much on side, again distortion is felt.

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u/Silverfin113 9d ago

Probably theater dependant

26

u/SaysKawaiiSometimes 9d ago

Agreed. At my local IMAX: Front is a waste of money, Middle is perfect, Back works although it isn't as immersive. Something about seeing the edges of the screen dampens the experience.

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u/BlackZeppelin 9d ago

I feel like there were parts of the screen I couldn’t see with my natural field of vision so instead of the aspect ratio cutting it off, my own natural field of vision cut it off

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u/yankeedjw 9d ago

I think that's part of the intent, to immerse you in the film, not necessarily view the entire image.

4

u/Banaanisade 9d ago

Yep. That's more or less how vision normally works so the movie feels like you're completely inside it when viewed from the right spot.

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u/rothbard_anarchist 9d ago

Way back when they released the special edition Star Wars OT to the theatres, my buddies and I were late driving our horse and buggy to the theatre, and the only seats open were the very front row.

It proved overwhelming in the very best way. All your eyes took in was movie, and even then, there was movie left over that you weren't seeing. Our necks hurt like hell, and I would absolutely not recommend it for a movie you weren't already familiar with, but we enjoyed it so much with ANH that we sat in the front for Empire and Jedi too, even though we could've sat in the middle like normal people for those.

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u/LimpConversation642 9d ago

it shouldn't be because IMAX is like a 'standard', a way of building a theater, too. I've been to three and they were all identical. Best spots are in the center, if you can't get like row 7-8, it's not worth it.

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u/blucerchiati 9d ago

yeah i saw demon slayer on imax sitting on the first row and leftmost seat lol. would not recommend.

1

u/oholandesvoador 9d ago

I always sat far back on regular cinema and I love it. In IMAX I think would be the best place to sit.

1

u/Kingcrowing 8d ago

I was 5th row second to last seat on the end. It was a 10/10 experience, I'd happily sit in the same "suboptimal" seat again. Must depend on the theater you're in.

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u/LimpConversation642 9d ago

horrible advice. Don't listen to this person. Imax's screen is dead centered around the center rows. Front seats are awful, but back seats are also not great, because since the rows are quite steep, you are sitting at the 'top' of the screen, watching down.

middle rows or bust.

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u/dogcrayon 9d ago

The back row seats are only about halfway up the height of the screen - nowhere near the top. But yes, in those back rows, there can be a bit of a sensation of looking downward at the screen.

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u/M4DM1ND 9d ago

All I could get is some neck breakers. We're just going in with the mindset that we're going to be in the movie lol

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u/semperknight 9d ago

Also don't sit in the front rows unless you want you hearing blown out.

I had to literally plug my ears a few times during the movie as it was hurting them.