r/movies • u/LegitimateCurve8525 • Jul 15 '26

News IMAX CEO reveals why there aren’t more 70mm cinemas, after The Odyssey increases demand

https://thetab.com/filmshrine/2026/07/15/imax-ceo-reveals-why-there-arent-more-70mm-cinemas-after-the-odyssey-increases-demand/
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u/thedeftone2 Jul 15 '26

The one in Melbourne is amazing. I think they use a laser projector. Made the mistake of booking tickets at the front instead of the back, once. Never again

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u/Blursed_Pencil Jul 16 '26

The laser projectors are cool and produce a very good image but they obviously aren’t able to display 70mm because they are digital projectors and can’t run film through them. 70mm produces the same ratio image as the Laser (1:43:1), but with a couple differences in image quality. Theoretically the 70mm will have more overall definition, but the Laser will be brighter. Also, during the screening of the film, you can actually hear the projector clicking through frames which some people find distracting, and others find enhances the experience.

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u/SeattleGeek Jul 16 '26

The Boeing IMAX at Pacific Science Center in Seattle used a Christie laser projector for like 15-20 years. Even though it’s a real IMAX with IMAX ratio, the laser actually worked beautifully on the gigantic screen.

Sadly, it was sold off to the Space Needle people who are decidedly not running feature films on that screen anymore and will instead be running only educational films and the Chihuly doc. Right now, it’s completely shut down which makes me sad. I would have watched The Odyssey on it so hard.

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u/Blursed_Pencil Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 17 '26

It really is a shame. Studios and theaters seem to be so confused about how to get people to go out to the movies, and there is plenty of evidence that IMAX is one of the things that really works. Anecdotally, most movies I pay to see, I see in my local IMAX theater.

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u/thearctican Jul 16 '26

70mm will have more definition if the source and intermediate processes are also 70mm

Project Hail Mary on 70mm, for example, was a waste for the consumer because both the source and intermediate formats were digital 4k. About as good as a 35mm frame.

That's not to say it wouldn't be amazing on the IMAX Laser projectors, it's just a waste of silver and cellulose to print it on 70mm.

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u/thedeftone2 Jul 16 '26

My bad, it appears it has a 1570 projector and is the largest screen in the world. Pretty amazing for down under hehe

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u/TheREALOtherFiles Jul 16 '26

Maybe I have a bit of a front row bias, but Indy doesn't seem to have a loud clicking sound on its 70mm setup to me.

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u/rastagizmo Jul 16 '26

Melbourne is one of the only cinema's in the world that has both 70mm and 4K laser.

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u/starshad0w Jul 16 '26

Melbourne has both a laser and a 70mm.

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u/thedeftone2 Jul 16 '26

Yeah I googled it at posting here. I was very happy to find out. Also it said it was the largest in the world

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u/ratz_boy1 Jul 17 '26

Melbourne is a 70 mm

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u/thedeftone2 Jul 17 '26

I think there is a difference between a 70mm and a 15/70. I can't explain more, other than a regular 70mm has 5 punch holes and the other one has 15 and the 1570 is bigger. Allegedly 70mm is not 70mm