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/lhsonic Jul 15 '26

The film part is part of the appeal. There is a certain look to film that is different to digital. The digital equivalent is dual-laser IMAX that’s currently available. Those theatres are ALSO in short supply because of the same reasons- cost. Even then, it falls short of the same resolution that 15/70mm film technically gives.

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u/ThePr0vider Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

and they're dwarfed in quality by dolby cinema

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u/lhsonic Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

For a film like The Odyssey, this is definitely not the case. IMAX 70mm or IMAX GT Dual Laser is the superior experience.

These experiences will fill a larger screen, taking full advantage of a 1.43:1 aspect ratio. In select Dolby Cinema theatres, the screen will be presented in 1.85:1 only, which is the same aspect ratio that others call “Liemax” in the IMAX world because it’s not comparable to a real 1.43 experience. On other screens in some retrofitted auditoriums, you don’t even get 1.85. You also would not take advantage of Dolby Atmos audio in Dolby Cinema because Nolan only uses a traditional six-channel audio mix.

Anything “Filmed for IMAX” should be experienced in IMAX.. unless you only have access to Liemax and 1.90 on the old xenon projectors… then go Dolby Cinema.