There are so many selling points for The Odyssey that it’s not a surprise that so many are tipping it to be a colossus at the box office this summer. One of the most intriguing for fans of the cinematic experience, however, is its unique place in film history as the first to be wholly shot in IMAX.
Naturally, you’d need to not only find an IMAX cinema, but also one that can show the most premium of IMAX products if you want to experience The Odyssey in its ultimate form. Those tickets will have a significant markup, though. So, to make sure you know what you’re paying for, the studio has created a tool to help your decision.
Using the Tool to Visualise the Formats
The Odyssey will be shown in six different formats in the UK. There’s the big premium large format theatre screenings with a 2.39:1 or 1.85:1 aspect ratio and the Dolby Vision high dynamic range with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. You can also see it in 35mm film, which is the classic format, and 70mm film.
Then, you’ve got the big IMAX screenings. IMAX 1.90:1 is the expanded aspect ratio, but you can also get into IMAX Laser screenings that have the 1.43:1 expanded aspect ratio. Top of the pile is IMAX 70mm, which is the one that’s being hyped the most. It’s shown on the floor-to-ceiling immersive screens with the best picture available.
Lots of numbers are thrown in there, and it can be difficult to know which is best for you without having experienced them all recently. So, The Odyssey’s website lets you explore the IMAX formats for its trailer. The screen expands and contracts with each of the different formats, while the picture quality also alters.
Why Will People Pay More for the Premium Screenings?
It’s inevitable that cinemas lucky enough to be able to show 70mm IMAX will put up the ticket prices to cash in on the hype for this film. Even so, fans are ready and willing to pay up, it seems. After all, Greek mythology’s incredibly popular right now, and the box office has been starved of such big-budget outings for a good decade.
Even with the myths having a break from the blockbuster slate, they’ve thrived elsewhere in entertainment. Far from adaptations and acting, even the UK casino table games selection has embraced the theme with Ancient Greek games. Age of the Gods: Roulette and Age of the Gods: Spin a Win perfectly demonstrate the demand.
In these games, many of the most famous of the Ancient Greek pantheon are in play, including Ares, Athena, and Zeus. In each, the gods can intervene when certain combinations or wins are hit, often getting them to fire down big multipliers or bonuses to bolster the game. The games stand out and get clicks for their Greek myth ties.
Of course, The Odyssey promises to immerse fans in one of the most famous and lasting stories of Greek myth. The adaptation of Homer’s poems should take viewers into deadly encounters with powerful monsters, to the Underworld, and several interventions from gods like Athena.
For those who are fascinated by film, Greek mythology, and can’t wait to see The Odyssey, 70mm IMAX should deliver the best experience possible. It’s the format that best matches the scale of the story, offering the kind of towering visuals and enveloping presentation that can make Odysseus’ journey feel truly vast.
Conclusion
While not every viewer will feel the need to pay extra for the most premium ticket, the format comparison tool gives audiences a clearer sense of what they’re choosing. Rather than simply relying on marketing terms or aspect ratio numbers, fans can see how much of the image they’ll gain and how each format changes the experience.
Ultimately, The Odyssey looks set to be more than just another summer blockbuster. By combining one of the oldest and most influential stories ever told with some of the most advanced cinema technology available today, it has the potential to become a landmark theatrical event. For viewers who want the grandest version of that journey, IMAX 70mm is likely to be the closest thing to sailing alongside Odysseus himself.
You may also like:
Leave a reply