IMAX Blinks First: Spider-Man Muscles Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Off Its Own Exclusive Screens

IMAX is splitting its North American screens between Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” reversing course days after the superhero sequel opened without a single domestic IMAX screen. Nolan’s film had locked down a four-week global IMAX exclusivity window running July 17 through August 14, shot entirely on IMAX-certified cameras, which shut “Brand New Day” out of the format for its July 30 launch [1, 3]. Despite the snub, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” still opened to a record-breaking $360 million domestically, the biggest domestic opening weekend in box office history, surpassing “Avengers: Endgame,” and has grossed $927 million worldwide [4, 5]. IMAX tickets for “Brand New Day” went on sale August 4, with the film expanding across IMAX’s North American network beginning Thursday, August 6, sharing digital IMAX screens with “The Odyssey” while Nolan’s film retains all 41 of the company’s 70mm film locations worldwide [1, 2]. IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond credited the pivot to Spider-Man’s box office performance, noting the franchise has delivered $365 million in IMAX receipts to date [2].

Why It Sucks:

Spider-Man Fans & Moviegoers

• Biggest opening ever, smallest format access. Fans who wanted to see the highest-grossing domestic debut in history in the premium format had to settle for standard screens, Dolby, or 4DX during the one weekend that mattered most for a first-viewing experience [4, 5].
• A studio deal, not a scheduling accident, cost them. The exclusion wasn’t due to lack of screens or demand, it was a contractual exclusivity window that prioritized one studio’s prestige release over the format’s own record-setting franchise [1, 3].
• The fix came late and only because of money. IMAX only reshuffled screens after “Brand New Day” proved itself at the box office, meaning ordinary opening-weekend audiences were treated as an afterthought until the numbers forced a reversal [2].

Christopher Nolan & “The Odyssey” Camp

• An exclusivity deal gets shortened under pressure. Nolan shot “The Odyssey” entirely on IMAX-certified cameras specifically to showcase the format, and secured a four-week exclusive window running through August 14, only for IMAX to start sharing screens with a rival blockbuster just weeks in [1, 3].
• Box office success is rewriting the rules mid-run. The whole point of large-format exclusivity is to give a filmmaker’s theatrical vision room to breathe without competing for the best screens, and that guarantee evaporated the moment a bigger opening weekend showed up [1, 2].
• Precedent is now: outsell us and the deal bends. Any future filmmaker negotiating an IMAX exclusivity window has to wonder whether it will actually hold if a competitor’s opening numbers are big enough [2, 3].

IMAX & Theater Exhibitors

• Squeezed between two of the year’s biggest films. IMAX had to publicly reverse a scheduling commitment mid-run, risking its relationship with Nolan, a filmmaker whose brand is closely tied to the format, in order to accommodate Sony’s demand [1, 2].
• Missed a historic opening weekend’s premium revenue. By locking in exclusivity for “The Odyssey,” exhibitors left money on the table during the single biggest domestic opening weekend in box office history, since “Brand New Day” couldn’t sell a single domestic IMAX ticket during its debut [3, 4].
• Now managing two demanding franchises on one screen count. Splitting digital IMAX screens between two of the year’s tentpole releases while preserving 70mm exclusivity for “The Odyssey” is a logistical squeeze that satisfies neither side fully [1, 2].

Sources & Citations:

[1] Deadline: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Sets Imax Release For North America
[2] Variety: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Sets Imax Release, ‘The Odyssey’ Exclusive Run Ends
[3] The Hollywood Reporter: Imax Pivots to Give Spider-Man North American Screens, Sharing With ‘The Odyssey’
[4] CNBC: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ beats out ‘Avengers: Endgame’ for highest domestic opening ever
[5] CNN Business: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ soars to $927 million worldwide, the second-highest debut ever