Editorial: Selling IMAX tickets a year before the release is really bad
by Alex Billington
July 18, 2025
“His gifts were mixed with good and evil both.” On July 17, 2025, at midnight, the theaters Imax from around the world began to sell tickets to the next year of Christopher Nolan’s film Odyssey. The gadget was a “In a year“Trick for fans of movie and Nolan movies to buy tickets NOW For a film that hasn’t even finished filming yet. Many did not even know that it happened, only those who close updates on social networks and the Nerds Imax which are aware. Universal Pictures has barely begin marketing Odyssey – arrive in theaters on July 17, 2026 Next summer. As a person who has been following cinema outings for 20 years, as a person who loves and supports theatrical experience above all, I have to declare for the record – it’s a bad idea. It is indicative of a desperate and broken theatrical industry arranged to use gadgets and “exclusivity” to remain relevant. We are at a time when all valid criticisms are rejected and most people are not willing to see the bad side in anything. So I’m not surprised that some say that I am crazy to say that it was bad. Rather than considering it really East Bad and establishes a boring precedent.
I hope that no other movie or studios will do this. Please don’t do it Start selling tickets so far from the release. But by knowing Hollywood, it could start to happen more and more and it will not be good for cinema. Dive directly upwards: the films are not Concerts. They are not supposed to be exclusive events that you need to book a year in advance. Films are for everyone. When a film opens in theaters, everyone is supposed to be allowed to watch it, they should be able to book tickets. Yes, of course, the standard nowadays is generally 1 or 2 months before sales begins for the opening day / the opening weekend (Marvel usually does that). And yes, there will be hundreds of other shows available in every latest cinema in the world next July, when this new long -awaited film will be released. As a person on Twitter already shouted on me: it’s just a format, and a few hours on the opening day for that A Premium format. Just cool! “It will be fine …” It’s just too far in advance to do it. Many people have joked, which is not really a joke: what if the film is delayed? What if they had to repel him for a few months? Well, everyone is screwed up … I suppose?
Nolan Odyssey is the first film film entirely with IMAX cameras. Each scene, at every moment, everything that contains is filmed on the IMAX cameras – an intimidating task given the IMAX cameras is extremely heavy and large, and create a large amount of noise (during the shooting on a 65 mm film). IMAX says they have invented new cameras that Nolan to use on this production. The photos in the whole indicate that this invention is just a gigantic sound sheet box which reviews the camera so that they can record the dialogue and natural sounds without having any ADR / DUB quite later in post-production. Nolan and his crew are always The shooting now – they have just landed in Morocco this week with Matt Damon and Zendaya and Tom Holland. Yes, it’s exciting to follow the films, from pre-production through the shooting of post-production to the exit. I have been doing this for 20 years. But sell tickets for a film at the moment that does not open for a year? It’s just ridiculous. I don’t know where I will be, what I’m going to do, what will happen in the world next July. Do you? Nobody does it. I understand that they want to scatter this, and I understand that the tickets are sold for Special Opening day 70 mm IMAX Posters But that still doesn’t change the fact that it is a frustrating gadget.
Here is a great reason why this kind of exclusive remote pre-sale is bad. Have you forgotten (or do you fall asleep? Or did you just know?) To buy your tickets when they were put on sale at random earlier this week for a film that does not open for yet 12 months? There were only a few hundred available for each showtime (unlike the thousands of concerts). GOOD, ShameYou will no longer be able to obtain 70 mm IMAX tickets on the opening day. You missed this chance. But scalper are now returning for hundreds of dollars! They could even end up hit $ 1,000 per following summer. I bet there is tons People (real Nolan fans !!) who will discover that this presale occurred only in 2026 and will be upset that everything is sold in the last 6 months. Balancing the media threshing carrot in front of people is the easy thing to do today and will always make people think that their excitement and their eagerness to pay the companies are fair and pure. How would I dare to question that! But at this point, it is not the film, it is a question of bringing people to give their money For This excitement, and do it well in advance on the real opening. This is not a unique event. This should be a celebration of cinema, not the rootstock. Films are something we all Experience together, not only those who reserved a year earlier.
And yes of course, every time I mention it, someone always responds with “but there will be tons of other times added to release, calm down.” Why isn’t it the opposite …? Can they not calm down about this pre-sale gadget of a year-long-time-time? I certainly I also want to go to the 70mm IMAX openings, but I don’t want to book my tickets for the moment. It is far too early for even thinking about it. Let them finish the film and start marketing it before they even start thinking about buying tickets for this. Once their complete marketing campaign begins in 2026, once again, people hear about it, of course, maybe we should start organizing theaters. Do you want to see it that way? Well, unfortunately, you must now wait until September 2026 to find an IMAX 70 mm ticket. Or maybe these tickets will also be sold a year in advance? I am not the only grumpy about it. Many other people have also expressed their frustrations on Twitter. Some of them here:
Re: Odyssey tickets
I don’t think it’s a good idea to deal with films like concerts. If it becomes a regular thing, people will buy and return tickets like crazy. Films should be for everyone, not monsters and opportunists.– Rolo Tony (@Poroldrolotony) July 17, 2025
“I want to go see a midnight Imax broadcast of #Theodyssey In a year?
“Umm, I don’t know, it’s a long way …”
“No matter, it’s exhausted.” pic.twitter.com/tvtymh4don
– Maryann Johanson (Elle / Elle) (@Maryannjohanson) July 17, 2025
So what do we think of the second film to make the “Buying 70 mm tickets per year in advance” now that the Nolan Odyssey sold so quickly? No chance, the industry will let it be one.
– f♯a♯∞, fka ☕️ (@coopeceropeco) July 17, 2025
It is difficult to say that I am happy for all those who have obtained tickets now. Because no one should fight for tickets to see this film right away. It is too early. Of course, I understand that Nolan Odyssey is a spectacularly unique cinematographic experience because the first film never fully shot with IMAX cameras. But it is not the only film which is a special cinematographic event. James Cameron Avatar 3 (aka Avatar: fire and ash) Opened in December 2025, in five months, and they have not even started talking about tickets yet. Because they haven’t even started to market it yet! (The first trailer was released next week.) Nolan Odyssey Already has a trailer, but only in theaters (it is not yet available online). There is no reason to shoot this blow and start selling tickets in advance. In fact, many cities do not even have this option. Where I live in Berlin, we have only one Imax theater and it is not configured for a projection of 70 mm (only a laser which is always magnificent). There is nowhere else to offer the presale elsewhere and I am sure that this theater does not even think of tickets yet. Yes, each theater East enthusiastically Odyssey Go out next year. This presale starts again from the industry Sorts of features as Odyssey are the only Films keeping them afloat and allowing them to make silver cargoes like before the pandemic of COVID-19.
As much as this ticket sales gadget from one year to a year bothers me, there could be a ulterior motive. When leaving Ryan Coogler’s Sinners Earlier this year and Nolan Oppenheimer A few years ago, a problem that arose in the theatrical exhibition industry: few theaters have 70 mm projectors more. These are gigantic machines that cost a lot of money and require constant maintenance and technical management, as well as a highly qualified (and well -remunerated) projectionist to manage them. The industry begins to realize that more and more moviegoers prefer “special” formats like 70 mm compared to the standard digital projection. They are worth installing. But how can we convince more theaters to install and pay a nice penny for 70 mm movies? You have to show them figures. It may be a sneaky Imax strategy so that they can go out and convince more theaters to do so. This gives them a year of delay. And now they can go around saying “Look, we have sold hundreds of shows for the 70mm IMAX format A year in advance! There is a huge request! “Of course, okay, that makes sense – but can’t they prove that there is a huge demand without having to make this presale gadget? And above all, this excitement to watch the 70mm Imax versions is not durable all year round. Nolan can do it, and some other filmmakers can attract normal prices for theaters, but the rest of the year can simply stay at home or prefer to pay normal prices for normal theators …
I just had to remove it from my chest. I love Christopher Nolan and his films, I have supported watching his films in theaters since the start of this website in 2006. But I am not satisfied with this one -year ticket tour. And I am already worried to understand when I have to book tickets to watch the film in Imax in my own city. Above all, I hope that does not do Define a precedent in Hollywood. And I hope we can all enjoy the greatness and glory of Nolan Odyssey Film next year without having to think about reserving tickets for months in advance. Until then, I am waiting for Universal to disclose the online trailer so that everyone can see it … What do you think? Have you ever obtained tickets? Or are you waiting for next year?
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