Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has reached another remarkable milestone, this time at one of the world’s most prestigious large-format cinemas. The epic has officially become the highest-grossing film in the history of BFI IMAX in London, overtaking James Cameron’s Avatar to claim the venue’s all-time box office crown.
The achievement is especially significant because BFI IMAX is not an ordinary cinema. The Waterloo venue has the UK’s largest cinema screen and has become closely associated with Nolan’s films, particularly because the director has consistently championed the IMAX format. The Odyssey was filmed entirely using IMAX film cameras, allowing audiences at the venue to experience the movie in the format for which it was designed.
The Odyssey Beats Avatar at BFI IMAX
The Odyssey has now sold more than 101,000 tickets at BFI IMAX, generating approximately £2.68 million in ticket revenue from the single London screen. The film is also maintaining an impressive 95% occupancy rate across currently available showtimes, demonstrating that demand for Nolan’s epic remains exceptionally strong at the venue.
That performance has pushed the movie ahead of Avatar, James Cameron’s 2009 science-fiction phenomenon that had previously held the BFI IMAX record. The result is particularly notable because Avatar was itself a defining large-format theatrical experience and helped establish the importance of premium screens for major event movies.
BFI IMAX is currently the highest-grossing IMAX venue for The Odyssey in both the UK and international markets. The London location is also the second-highest-grossing IMAX screen globally, behind TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, which has a significantly larger capacity.
The numbers are even more impressive when the cinema’s physical limitations are considered. BFI IMAX has a single enormous screen, meaning The Odyssey is generating this revenue from one auditorium rather than from a multiplex spread across numerous screens.
Why Nolan’s IMAX Strategy Is Paying Off
The success of The Odyssey at BFI IMAX is closely connected to Nolan’s long-standing relationship with the format. The film was shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, making it the first feature to be filmed completely using that technology.
Audiences at BFI IMAX can therefore watch the movie using a rare IMAX 70mm print, rather than experiencing the film through a conventional digital presentation. For Nolan, who has repeatedly argued for theatrical presentation and large-format film, the distinction is more than a technical detail.
The Waterloo screen measures approximately 26 metres wide and almost 20 metres high, covering around 280 square metres. That makes it roughly the height of five double-decker buses and gives The Odyssey the kind of scale its filmmakers intended.
Demand has reflected that reputation. The movie has reportedly been sold out at the venue for weeks, with advance tickets proving extremely difficult to secure.
The enthusiasm actually began long before the film opened. BFI IMAX sold 28,000 tickets during the first 24 hours of presales in June, generating around £750,000. Four opening-weekend screenings sold out in less than an hour, despite the fact that the movie was still approximately a year away from release at the time.
That kind of advance demand gave The Odyssey an extraordinary head start and demonstrated the unique relationship Nolan has developed with cinema audiences in London.
The Odyssey Now Tops a Nolan-Heavy Chart
The all-time BFI IMAX rankings show just how dominant Nolan’s films have become at the venue. The Odyssey now sits at No. 1, followed by Avatar, while Nolan’s Oppenheimer occupies third place.
The remaining top ten includes several other Nolan films, including The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Dunkirk and Interstellar. That means Nolan has five other films in BFI IMAX’s top 10, alongside his new record-holder.
The current top 10 is:
- The Odyssey — Christopher Nolan, 2026
- Avatar — James Cameron, 2009
- Oppenheimer — Christopher Nolan, 2023
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens — J.J. Abrams, 2015
- The Dark Knight — Christopher Nolan, 2008
- The Dark Knight Rises — Christopher Nolan, 2012
- Dune: Part Two — Denis Villeneuve, 2024
- Dunkirk — Christopher Nolan, 2017
- Interstellar — Christopher Nolan, 2014
- Avatar: The Way of Water — James Cameron, 2022
The list demonstrates how strongly premium large-format audiences have responded to filmmakers who treat IMAX as part of the filmmaking process rather than simply another way to present a movie.
For Nolan, the achievement has an added layer of significance because BFI IMAX is in his home country. The venue has become one of the key locations for British audiences wanting to experience his movies in their largest possible format.
A Record-Breaking Run From the Start
The Odyssey was already making headlines at BFI IMAX before it had even reached theaters. Its opening weekend generated £219,867, making it the venue’s biggest opening weekend ever at the time.
The film’s success has continued well beyond that initial rush. Its ability to maintain a 95% occupancy rate across currently available screenings suggests that the demand is not simply the result of a short-lived opening-weekend phenomenon.
The venue also staged a Nolan retrospective ahead of the film’s release, further strengthening the connection between the director’s catalogue and the BFI IMAX experience. For fans, the retrospective offered an opportunity to revisit movies such as Interstellar, Dunkirk and The Dark Knight in the same environment where Nolan’s latest epic would eventually become the venue’s biggest movie.
The result is a remarkable achievement for The Odyssey. It has not merely performed strongly at a premium-format cinema; it has surpassed one of the most successful large-format films in modern movie history at a venue specifically known for its commitment to the format.
For Nolan, the BFI IMAX record is another indication that his insistence on theatrical scale continues to resonate with audiences. In an era when many films quickly move toward streaming platforms, The Odyssey is demonstrating that audiences will still turn up in enormous numbers when a movie is presented as a genuine cinematic event.
And at BFI IMAX, Nolan’s latest epic has now officially become the biggest movie the venue has ever seen.
