All 6 Viewing Formats Compared (IMAX, 35mm, Dolby & More)

Director Christopher Nolan has been one of cinema’s biggest advocates. Not only has he continued to fight for theatrical distribution, but Nolan has championed large formats for their ability to immerse audiences in the story. The director has been shooting his films in IMAX for years, thrilling audiences with harrowing sequences in The Dark Knight and fantastic dreamscapes in Inception. I remember seeing Dunkirk in IMAX, with the visuals being only one facet of the experience, as Nolan’s bombastic sound design tried its best to rumble the meat off my bones. It was fantastic.

The Odyssey isn’t pulling any punches, as it is one of the few Nolan films to land an R rating. However, the director took his love of premium formats to another level, with every frame of The Odyssey being captured on IMAX cameras. While Nolan has his personal favorite way of experiencing the movie, the Odyssey website recently offered prospective audiences a fantastic guide that breaks down the differences among the various formats in which the movie will be shown, from the standard 35mm to the more obscure premium formats. I went through all the formats to gather example images of how each aspect ratio presents the film, along with some great insight into potential availability and pricing.

Premium Large Format (PLF)

A Wide Variety of Unique Large-Screen Experiences

There is a wide variety of Premium Large Format (PLF) theaters across the United States. Many assume IMAX falls under the definition of a PLF, but there is a distinction to be made, as it is a unique proprietary experience. PLFs, such as Cinemark XD and Regal RPX, are owned by those theater chains and serve as their own brand of large-screen entertainment to compete with IMAX. The PLF experience is accompanied by superior projection technology, with the screens built for wall-to-wall viewing. Even that can mean different aspect ratios, as most offer scope and flat options depending on the movie. Not every sound system is the same, either, with some prioritizing picture over immersive audio. Large cities are likely to offer PLF options, but rural theatergoers may not have decent access. Still, across the different formats that fall under the PLF definition, hundreds of screens are available nationwide when the numbers are combined.

Dolby Vision

The Vivid Premium Format Is on the Rise

Dolby Vision can be presented in either scope or flat format, depending on the venue and movie. Still, what won’t waver is the picture quality the format offers. Dolby Vision’s dual 4K laser projection system delivers some of the most vivid colors and contrast available in theatrical distribution. The Dolby Cinema experience uses ultra-vivid High Dynamic Range (HDR) visuals for impeccable rendering, sure to leave audiences at The Odyssey stunned. Dolby Vision also uses spatial audio to deliver exceptional sound, which is sure to be working overtime with Nolan’s bombastic score. Unfortunately, Dolby Vision is available on only about 200 screens across the country, making it a rare opportunity for most.

35mm

The Standard Movie Theater Experience

35mm film was the industry standard before most theaters converted to digital projection. There are fewer than 300 locations across the United States that still run 35mm film, making the old standard hard to come by. That said, most audiences will see the film via digital projection, matching the 35mm release aspect ratio, making it the most prominent format in which The Odyssey will be playing. Even while the screen may not be gigantic, it became a standard for a reason, offering crisp colors and standard theater audio output.

70mm

A Rare, Immersive Experience

Much like the difference between IMAX and other PLF brands, there are substantial variations between IMAX 70mm and a theater simply showing 70mm. There is a difference in the film’s perforations and overall image quality. Still, 70mm offers a pristine, high-resolution picture that is often unparalleled by other large screen formats. It also runs vertically through the projector, unlike IMAX 70mm, which runs horizontally. It’s the largest frame size used by theaters, offering one of the most immersive cinema experiences and truly making the movie larger than life. Unfortunately, 70mm film projection is extremely rare, with fewer than 25 locations available.

IMAX

A Common Premium Large Format for Many

IMAX is one of the most common large-screen format experiences in the United States. There are roughly 400 IMAX screens, with The Odyssey set to dominate them all. Still, true IMAX film is rare, with digital IMAX projection becoming far more commonplace. There has even been an uptick in standard theaters that are converted into IMAX screens, which meet technical requirements but are smaller than purpose-built IMAX auditoriums. The Odyssey will be shown in IMAX’s 1.90:1 Expanded Aspect Ratio, which differs from the 70mm aspect ratio. Nolan’s bold use of the format is primed to make the most of the immersive theater experience that can engulf your entire field of view, and the director’s audio mix is sure to be optimized for IMAX sound systems, delivering a potentially Earth-rattling experience.

IMAX 70mm

Nolan’s Favorite Format Is Hard To Come By

IMAX 70mm is the largest format available, offering the best high-definition picture. It’s also the format that will be showing The Odyssey in IMAX’s 1.43:1 Expanded Aspect Ratio, which is Nolan’s preferred vision of the film. The picture is substantially larger, offering the ultimate floor-to-ceiling premium viewing experience. Sadly, as much as Nolan touts 70mm IMAX as the best way to experience The Odyssey, it’s also one of the rarest formats available in the United States. There are only about 25 70mm IMAX locations (via in70mm.com), which makes the seats in high demand. When tickets for the rare screenings went on sale, they were bought fast, with many finding their way online at substantial markups. Some have noted that 70mm IMAX Odyssey tickets are selling for up to $1,000 (via Forbes). The Odyssey doesn’t hit theaters until July 17, but the movie is already promising to be a monumental summer blockbuster in more ways than one.

Release Date

July 17, 2026

Runtime

172 Minutes