Only three UK cinemas can show The Odyssey as Christopher Nolan filmed it – full list | Films | Entertainment

Christopher Nolan’s epic Greek fantasy film The Odyssey is sure to be one of the cinema events of 2026.

It features a stellar cast, with Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anna Hathaway as his wife Penelope and a supporting cast including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong’o.

The film is set to be released in UK cinemas on Friday (July 17). But there are only 41 cinemas across the world equipped to show the film as British director Nolan filmed it, and just three of those are in the UK.

Nolan has long been a champion of IMAX 1570 film, which is the highest-resolution film format in existence. This format is named for the width of the film stock (70mm) and the 15 perforations on each frame.

The Odyssey, which has been met with largely positive reviews by critics, is the first feature film shot entirely on 1570 cameras.

This makes for a gruelling challenge because the cameras are very heavy, loud and requite frequent reloading. The film stock had to be changed every three minutes during shooting, which took place in Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, Western Sahara and Malta. The crew also used the Universal Studios Lot in Los Angeles.

Nolan worked with IMAX to develop a soundproofing ‘blimp’ to house the 180kg camera to make it quiet enough for him to record dialogue on the 1570. It is the first time this had been attempted.

But 1570 is old technology with most cinemas switching to digital around a decade ago. There are subsequently only 41 cinemas across the world which are now capable of projecting the format.

Film fans are now travelling far and wide to make sure they watch The Odyssey how iconic director Nolan intended it.

The film follows Odysseus, the heroic king of Ithaca, the central character in Homer’s Odyssey, one of his two major epics.

It features his long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War, chronicling his encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens and the nymph Calypso. He desperately wants to reunite with his wife, Penelope.

Following the 10-year Trojan War, it takes Odysseus another 10 years to return home, during which all his crewmates are killed and he is presumed dead. His wife and son Telemachus have to contend with unruly suitors for Penelope’s hand in marriage.

Nolan is one of the 21st century’s leading filmmakers. His credits include Inception, Oppenheimer, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight Batman trilogy and Memento. He has been nominated for eight Oscars, winning Best Picture and Best Director for epic biographical thriller Oppenheimer.

These are the only three cinemas in the UK where you can watch The Odyssey on 1570.

The cinema, owned by the British Film Institute, is located near Waterloo Station in central London.

The screen is the largest in Britain, standing 20 m high and 26m wide. It has a seating capacity of 500 and a 14,000 W (19 hp) digital surround sound system.

It is designed specifically to offer the most immersive movie-watching experience possible.

The IMAX at the Science Museum, in South Kensington, London, is widely regarded as one of the best locations in Europe to watch blockbuster releases.

The venue, called The Ronson Theatre, has a 400-seat capacity with comfortable modern seating

It features a massive screen measuring 24.3 meters wide by 16.8 meters high, displaying the immersive 1.43:1 aspect ratio that offers up to 40% more image than standard cinemas.

The cinema, operated by Vue, is often compared to London’s BFI IMAX

The Printworks IMAX screen is massive, measuring an incredible 26 meters wide by 19 meters high, making it the second-largest IMAX screen in the UK (just slightly smaller than the BFI IMAX) and one of the largest in all of Europe.

The fact these cinemas have retained a working IMAX 1570 film projector means they can show extremely rare, high-resolution film prints for select major blockbusters.