*Courtesy of Laurent KOFFEL/Gamma-Rapho via Getty.*

Christopher Nolan is once again pushing cinematic boundaries. His upcoming epic, ‘The Odyssey’ — a reimagining of the Greek myth — will become the first commercial feature film to be shot entirely using IMAX film cameras.

Nolan has long been a proponent of large-format filmmaking, having utilized IMAX on projects such as ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘Interstellar,’ ‘Tenet,’ the ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy, and extensively on 2024s Best Picture Academy Award Winning ‘Oppenheimer,’ However, filming an entire movie on IMAX’s traditional film cameras — known for their bulky size, loud operation, and technical limitations — had previously been considered impractical. Most recent blockbusters, like ‘Thunderbolts’ and James Gunn’s upcoming ‘Superman,’ have instead opted for digital IMAX cameras due to their portability and quieter function.

Following the massive success of ‘Oppenheimer,’ which grossed over $190 million on IMAX screens alone (about 20% of its total earnings), Nolan challenged IMAX to upgrade its film technology. He requested improvements that would make the film cameras lighter, quieter, and more efficient, particularly in scanning and processing the 70mm film so he could review dailies during production.

IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond recounted at the company’s annual Cannes press lunch: “Chris called me up and said, ‘If you can figure out how to solve the problems, I will make [Odyssey] 100 percent in Imax.’ And that’s what we’re doing. He forced us to rethink that side of our business, our film recorders, our film cameras.”

The redesigned IMAX cameras are now reportedly 30% quieter and significantly lighter, potentially addressing one of the most common critiques of Nolan’s films: muffled dialogue. Additionally, new scanning and processing techniques will enable faster turnaround for reviewing footage during filming.

While these new cameras are currently reserved for Nolan’s use, IMAX plans to make them available to other filmmakers after ‘The Odyssey’ wraps.

According to Gelfond, 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for IMAX, with a record number of films using IMAX technology. Titles include Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners,’ the Brad Pitt-led ‘Formula One’ from Joseph Kosinski, and ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ starring Tom Cruise, which premiered at Cannes on Wednesday night before globally debuting for early IMAX screening Thursday.

Greta Gerwig’s upcoming fantasy film ‘Narnia’ will also be formatted for IMAX, though it remains uncertain whether Gerwig will use IMAX cameras for select scenes. Netflix has struck a deal with IMAX, securing a 28-day exclusive theatrical run for ‘Narnia’ before its streaming debut.

In addition, IMAX is expanding into new territory with ‘Patrouille de France,’ its first foreign-language documentary. Co-produced by Federation Studios and Imago Production, the film offers an inside look at the prestigious French Air and Space Force aerobatics team — chronicling their rigorous selection, intense training, and signature aerial performances. This project follows the success of ‘The Blue Angels,’ an Amazon MGM Studios-backed documentary directed by Paul Crowder about the U.S. Navy’s elite flight demonstration squadron.

MORE NEWS