Imax 70 mm screenings become the biggest star for Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

General views of the TCL Chinese Theatre during opening weekend for the Christopher Nolan film, "The Odyssey" in Imax on July 18, 2026, in Hollywood, California.AaronP | Bauer-Griffin | Gc Images | Getty ImagesFor Mike Rohlfing to see "The Odyssey" in theaters this week, the 39-year-old marketer set off on a hero's journey of his own.Rohlfing, along with his wife and three kids, drove approximately 900 miles round trip by minivan from their home in St. Louis, Missouri, to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their destination: One of the select movie theaters offering Imax 70-millimeter screenings for director Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the epic poem."It's an incredible format," Rohlfing told CNBC. "It was definitely worth it to me to travel such a long distance."Rohlfing isn't the only one going out of his way to experience the Universal film in this hard-to-find style.A-list actors like Zendaya and Anne Hathaway may line the cast list, but the breakout performance is coming from the large-scale, analog viewing experience beloved by Nolan and his fans. Exclusive data shared with CNBC shows how significantly the film revved up interest for higher-priced Imax 70 mm screenings.The format i...