Nolan's "The Odyssey" Breaks Records in Prague: IMAX 70mm Tickets Sell Out in Minutes

The Prague cinema at Flora is one of just 41 venues in Europe screening Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" in IMAX on 70mm film — exactly as the director intended. Screenings are completely sold out even at nine in the morning and at midnight, drawing audiences not only from across Czechia but from abroad as well.

Projectionist Karel Budík, who spoke to Seznam Zprávy from inside the projection booth, explained that the analog projector handles the film with remarkable care. "There's only one point where the image touches the mechanism, so the film can withstand hundreds of screenings without noticeable degradation," he said.

According to Budík, the entire film reel weighs around 300 kilograms, and the image resolution ranges from 12K to 18K — far exceeding standard digital projection at 6K. Subtitles are stored separately from the film itself, in case the copy needs to be sent to another cinema, though the projectionist noted this rarely happens given the high cost of transport.

Producing a single film print like this costs roughly $55,000 — nearly 1.2 million Czech crowns. All the copies were made at a laboratory in California, USA.

Most of the audience traveling to Prague for the screenings comes from Central Europe — many combine the trip with a holiday, though some come purely for the film. A couple from Austria said a friend had bought their tickets, with only two or three seats left when they purchased them: "We came just for the day — right after the screening, we're heading straight home." A viewer from Germany admitted she had to get up early, as this was the only screening that still had seats available.

The buzz around the Prague screenings has even caught the attention of international media, including the American news agency Associated Press.

Getting a ticket to one of these screenings is nearly impossible. "Most announced showings sell out within minutes of tickets going on sale," said Cinema City spokesperson Denisa Šandová. She noted that available seats rarely pop up afterward — usually in the front rows or when someone returns their tickets.

For those hoping to catch a screening in IMAX, the company recommends following the cinema's social media pages, where new showtimes are announced, and checking the website shortly before a specific screening — sometimes seats open up at the last minute after a reservation cancellation.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz