Chances are, your local IMAX has been packed out recently. For weeks, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been flooding out large-format screening rooms, whether on 70mm or digital presentations – including multiple-month sell-outs at the likes of the BFI IMAX. Fair play, since Nolan shot the entire movie on IMAX film. But that hold on IMAX screens the world over has meant that Spider-Man: Brand New Day – a film that normally would swing into those gargantuan rooms – has had to do without IMAX for its initial launch, aside from in China, Japan and South Korea. Not that it dented the web-slinger’s impact; Brand New Day landed a mind-blowing $932 million opening weekend anyway.
And Peter Parker’s fortunes look set to continue – IMAX has confirmed that Brand New Day will be heading into digital IMAX screens from Thursday August 6 across North America, sharing with screenings of The Odyssey. IMAX 70mm screens (of which there are only 41 in the world) will continue to exclusively show The Odyssey on film. “We believe more Spidey fans around the world will want to experience his latest adventure in IMAX,” says Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, “and we hope to be a major driver of both new and repeat viewing for the latest hit in this incredible year for moviegoing.”
It’s yet to be confirmed whether Brand New Day will be heading to UK IMAX screens in the near future too, with The Odyssey continuing to deliver big business across the nation. But with the friendly neighbourhood hero set to muscle in across the pond, it looks like Odysseus might soon be forced to share (hopefully not the cursed Circe ramen – he can keep that to himself).
