IMAX China is betting big on Christopher Nolan.
The large format exhibitor is reportedly set to dedicate the vast majority of its nearly 800-screen network to “The Odyssey” when the film debuts in the Middle Kingdom on August 14th.
Nolan and star Matt Damon will appear in Beijing on July 30th for the first-ever red carpet event held for a commercial film at the China National Film Museum in Beijing.
Two screenings are planned in Beijing, alongside a separate event at an IMAX theater at Universal Beijing Resort.
Previews begin August 1st and 2nd in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with a single screening per day ahead of the wide release.
CEO Daniel Manwaring says: “We haven’t seen enthusiasm for a film like this in quite some time. I’m expecting a very large majority of our entire network, if not all of our network, that first week will be playing ‘The Odyssey’.”
Pre-sales for “The Odyssey” have not yet opened in mainland China. IMAX in the country is already seeing strong pre-sales for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” which opens there this Friday.
The news comes as “The Odyssey” translator Emily Wilson has trashed the movie in an interview with The Guardian, saying “[its] narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible.”
Source: Variety
