'The Odyssey' Will Be the First Major Flick Entirely Shot on IMAX? Was 'Oppenheimer' Not Shot on IMAX Camera? Here’s the Truth

Published 05/15/2025, 12:43 PM EDT

The genius of Christopher Nolan has always given the world many cinematic gold whenever he stood behind the camera. His unique ability to take a complex narrative and blend it with visual prowess and emotional depth is what always sets Nolan apart. His last phenomenal success that came with Oppenheimer is now set to be reiterated with his upcoming The Odyssey. But recently, the news of The Odyssey being the first movie to be fully shot on IMAX has created much confusion.

Gaining wide popularity for shooting on IMAX earlier, was this achievement of Oppenheimer just a hoax? Let us find out the truth behind this.

Oppenheimer and The Odyssey: A confusing tangle of IMAX issue

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Firstly, to put all the rumors at ease, yes, Oppenheimer was shot on IMAX, but not all of it. IMAX was used extensively in the movie by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema for many scenes, who gave the world some award-winning visuals using the following- IMAX MSM 9802 and IMAX MKIV as the primary cameras. Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio as panvision cameras, including Panavision Sphero 65 and System 65 Lenses, and IMAX Snorkel Lens, and using Photo-Sonics Cameras as high-speed cameras for explosions.

Nolan is an admirer of the big-screen format, something he has used on his other directorial features, including Dunkirk, Interstellar, The Dark Knight movies, and Tenet. But even the genius of Nolan could not shoot an entire movie on the big and loud IMAX cameras. The lighter versions with digital IMAX cameras have been used in recent films like Thunderbolts* and 2025’s Superman. But Nolan took this problem head-on and, for the upcoming The Odyssey, challenged the company to come up with lighter versions.

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Christopher Nolan’s trust in the company is big time as IMAX has processed the cameras’ 70 mm film stock, making shooting The Odyssey a left-hand game for the director.

The Odyssey to take on the world with end-to-end IMAX coverage

The new IMAX cameras prepared by the company are said to be 30 percent quieter compared to the earlier ones and comparatively lighter as well. With the use of the evolved ones, film scanning and processing techniques will get a faster turnaround for dailies, effectively saving time and cutting long schedules. As per IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond, Christopher Nolan called him and asked him to figure out how to solve the problems, as he had plans to make The Odyssey 100 percent in IMAX, and the end result came out stunning. 

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He also informed that the new cameras are currently reserved for The Odyssey's shoot, but once finished, IMAX will begin renting them out to other directors as well. Already at work, The Odyssey is expected to be a worthy successor after Oppenheimer with a stellar cast in the womb. And add IMAX to this mix, the upcoming movie is rightly expected to be nothing short of phenomenal.

Ben Affleck Replaces Matt Damon to Lead a Netflix Thriller as the ‘Oppenheimer’ Actor Becomes Occupied With ‘The Odyssey' 

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What are your thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and Oppenheimer shot on IMAX? Share with us below.

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Shafaque Taha

204 articles

Shafaque Taha has been writing for more than half a decade now, and her passion for literature of any form is an early life habit. With more than 700 published articles in the sportainment, she is now armed with vigor to bring the same enthusiasm as an Entertainment Writer at Netflix Junkie. For her, entertainment provides a liberty to further explore the humanities with the forum of music and shows/movies in a world of ever-evolving art.

Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra

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