Christopher Nolan’s epic, The Odyssey, is drawing packed houses across London this week as the BFI London Film Festival runs through October 18. The film, shot and presented in IMAX 70mm, has posted repeated sold out screenings at the BFI IMAX and other London venues, underscoring renewed audience appetite for theatrical, large format cinema and delivering a win for the UK exhibition sector at a major industry moment.
What is happening in London
During the festival week, The Odyssey has been scheduled repeatedly on Britain’s largest screens, including multiple daily sessions at the BFI IMAX. Several public listings for festival screenings show late week performances labeled sold out, and festival programmers have included the film in high-profile slots. Festival activity has put the film in front of critics, buyers and a wide public audience in London, turning the screening run into a mini demonstration of the commercial and cultural value of event cinema in the UK.
Why the format matters
The Odyssey is notable both for its scale and for being shot on IMAX 70mm, a format that has become central to Nolan’s filmmaking practice and which emphasizes film celluloid and projection excellence over streaming convenience. The technical prestige is twofold: first, the film’s cinematography and sound design are calibrated to huge screens and analog 70mm prints, and second, the scarcity of those prints makes each screening feel like a limited event. That scarcity, combined with Nolan’s reputation, has translated into strong advance bookings at London venues equipped to show 70mm IMAX screenings.
What this means for UK cinemas and the festival
The popularity of The Odyssey screenings at BFI London Film Festival week matters in practical terms for UK exhibitors. Premium large format screenings generate higher per-ticket revenue and can boost weekday attendance when programmed with festival or gala status. For the BFI and independent cinemas that host festival programming, those sold out shows have immediate upside in box office and in the festivals visibility among international delegates. They also give local technicians, projectionists and specialist exhibitors a high profile platform at a moment when the industry is emphasizing both live theatrical experience and the economic value of film production and exhibition in Britain.
Industry context and longer term effects
The strong reception of The Odyssey in London comes amid a broader, multi year policy and market focus in the UK on supporting film production and theatrical exhibition. In recent years the UK has expanded tax and incentive frameworks to retain and attract large scale productions, and major directors continuing to premiere or program films in Britain reinforces the country’s standing as a place where high end production meets sophisticated theatrical exhibition. For exhibitors, the lesson is familiar but important: event films that justify premium technology still command audience attention and can catalyze spillover business for cinemas during festival runs.
Who benefits and who watches
Audiences who value the big screen experience appear to be the primary beneficiaries. Cinemagoers seeking the most immersive presentation of Nolan’s film can only access the full intended experience in IMAX 70mm or certified large format venues. For the British film industry, the attention helps sustain conversations about the value of theatrical-first films in the streaming era and strengthens the case for continued investment in projection and preservation infrastructure. Film technicians and venue staff also gain, because screening and maintaining 70mm prints requires specialist skills and equipment that festivals and major film releases keep in active use.
What to watch next
The BFI London Film Festival continues through October 18 and The Odyssey remains on the festival schedule in several formats. Watch for any announcements about additional special screenings or late added print engagements, which festivals sometimes arrange in response to demand. Separately, the performance of The Odyssey during its festival run will be an early indicator of how similar event films might perform at the UK box office through the coming awards season and the holiday period.
The current pattern in London suggests that, at least for films built around spectacle and format fidelity, the UK remains an influential market where theatrical presentation choices matter and can produce visible economic and cultural benefits for cinemas and audiences alike.
