Universal is putting Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey back in North American cinemas from December 11, with a re-release across more than 1,000 screens in the United States and Canada. The run includes standard digital formats, Imax and the limited Imax 70mm presentation that became a travel-and-book-it event during the film’s first release.
The scale of the return is not as notable as what it signals. The Odyssey opened on July 17 and has already become Universal’s and Nolan’s highest-grossing film, with $626 million domestic and $1.8 billion worldwide. It sits as the second-biggest film of 2026, behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The numbers behind the return
- $626 million domestic gross since July 17
- $1.8 billion worldwide total to date
- $550 million from Imax screens worldwide in its first three months
- 1,000+ North American screens for the December re-release
That Imax figure is the real story. The Odyssey is the highest-grossing Imax release of all time and recorded the biggest domestic opening in Imax 70mm, a format with limited prints and high operational costs. It was also the first movie shot entirely in Imax, so the theatrical stakes are inseparable from the film’s production design.
Why December makes sense
A re-release in early October already tested audience willingness to come back. Now Universal is aligning the return with the awards conversation, where The Odyssey is expected to compete at the top of the Oscars race. That turns a theatrical reissue into a premium-priced event for film fans and format enthusiasts who missed the initial 70mm run.
That is not a standard strategy. Most re-releases are wide catalogue drops or fan-event screenings. This is being positioned as a limited engagement in the most technically demanding format, which makes the scarcity itself a selling point.
What this means for media planners
A useful frame: a theatrical release can be planned as a two-phase product. Opening weekend buys mass reach; a later format-specific event buys high-margin repeat viewing. The Odyssey’s October and December runs show that second window in action.
The lesson is not that The Odyssey is a hit. It is that premium formats are now a marketing layer of their own. A title can be sold twice: first as a movie, then as a format-specific experience. The scarcest version, Imax 70mm, becomes the highest-intent segment.
Teams planning theatrical or brand campaigns should treat format exclusivity as an event, not a technical footnote. If a release has a scarce large-format version, segment messaging around it, use waitlist mechanics, and time a second push to moments when interest re-peaks, such as awards season.
Source: Variety
