Nolan's 'The Odyssey' to Open on Over 20,000 Chinese Screens, Dominating Imax

Christopher Nolan’s new film "The Odyssey" will debut on more than 20,000 screens across mainland China, covering roughly 90% of the country’s Imax venues.

Distributor data shows "The Odyssey" will roll out on over 20,000 Chinese screens, encompassing about 90% of the nation’s nearly 800 Imax locations. Ticketing platform Maoyan reports presale revenue of RMB39.5 million and a combined preview-presale total of RMB91 million, with Maoyan Pro forecasting an opening-day gross of RMB70.4 million. Imax confirmed that the film’s screen count will not be reduced even as "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" continues its strong performance.

Nolan traveled to China with producer Emma Thomas and co-stars Matt Damon and Charlize Theron, holding a birthday-cake photocall in a historic Beijing courtyard, a fan screening at Universal Beijing Resort’s CityWalk Cinema, and a premiere on an Imax GT-certified screen at the China National Film Museum. Their promotional tour generated extensive social-media buzz, including dozens of trending topics on Weibo and an estimated reach of one billion across press and content creators. Analyst Adrian Tong noted Nolan’s previous Chinese successes with "Oppenheimer" and "Tenet" and described the near-total Imax commitment as unusual for a Hollywood title, reflecting strong demand and favorable economics in a market that now favors only the most selective blockbusters.