Calgarians looking to watch a screening of the upcoming 2026 epic The Odyssey on 70mm IMAX film will have to wait, as the IMAX tour across North America has already sold out in the city.

The film is set to exclusively play at the IMAX at the Chinook Centre Cineplex with a Calgary run between July 16 and July 19, 2026.

Pre-sales a year in advance for a film is virtually unheard of in Hollywood, let alone selling out in less than 24 hours after they were first offered to the public on July 16.

Michelle Saba, Vice-President of Communications for Cineplex said that although pre-sales are common for highly anticipated film titles, the opportunity to do that one-year in advance for The Odyssey was unusual for the theatre chain.

“It is always exciting when we can help generate additional enthusiasm and anticipation around cinematic experiences,” Saba said.

She said that additional showtimes for the film would be added closer to the release date in 2026, outside of the IMAX Experience tour.

The film was shot using new IMAX cameras and technology, which was designed by the camera and projector company for Nolan’s new film.

Not shocking that The Odyssey sold out in advance

That The Odyssey sold out that far in advance was both shocking, and not shocking said Brian Owens, Artistic Director for the Calgary International Film Festival, and one of Calgary’s prominent film experts.

“It’s Christopher Nolan, who is just like maybe next to Marvel, is his own brand. I’m not surprised simply the fact that his fans know they’re going to like what they get, and so they’ll buy the ticket,” Owens said.

“It is an interesting model. Are there other brands that might be able to pull something like off? Who knows?”

He said that the shifting consumer preference for filmgoers meant that audiences are looking for events as a reason to get into cinema seats.

“I think a lot of times they have to be events, and Christopher Nolan’s an event,” he said.

Customer demand he said us up for those kind of event driven purchasing decisions, which included the pre-sale for the 2025 edition of the Calgary International Film Festival.

He said ticket sales for that have been the best year-to-date, and like the Christopher Nolan epic, without people knowing exactly what they are getting but liking what has been programmed in the past.

“The sales have been beyond what we originally expected. Again, this is all without people knowing what we’re even going to be showing or doing,” Owens said.

“I think in many cases, or most cases, these are probably already fans who know what we do, know what to expect, and know what to love. But I also think as the city’s grown, there’s also people who just know what film festivals are. And maybe if they haven’t been to ours, they’ve moved into town and want to be supportive.”

As for a model going forward, Owens said that it would be likely more films would turn to the pre-sale market months in advance if they know they have something in demand by audiences.

“Remember that we didn’t have reserve seating until the pandemic, and now they’ve stuck with reserved seating, which is a live theatre model. When Theatre Calgary announces their lineup, people can buy ticket tickets months in advance. So maybe it’s the right way to go with at least certain types of film,” he said.

“I think what also happens to people, and I’m guilty of this is like, ‘I’m gonna go see a movie this weekend, but I don’t know what it is,’ I don’t lock it down, and then my weekend plans change. But if there’s a movie I know I want to see, like something like Sinners, I’ll buy the ticket in advance, and then I know I’ve locked myself into going.”