How Christopher Nolan Is Taking Over Nearly Every IMAX Screen in China for 'The Odyssey'

One of the things I think everyone underestimated about The Odyssey was how well it would do internationally, and then how well it has the potential to do in China.

China is a massive market, and over the last few years, it has been very selective about which Hollywood movies have gone there.

Lucky for Universal, China is embracing The Odyssey, and it's about to have an unprecedented takeover of many of their screens.

Right now, it's scheduled to debut on 800 screens mid-August, and according to IMAX China CEO Daniel Manwaring in a report by Variety, a "very large majority" of their network—if not all of it—will be dedicated solely to The Odyssey during its rollout.

That's a massive saturation for the movie that could pull an additional billion dollars for the epic.

Let's dive in.

The "Christopher Nolan Effect" in Action

There was never going to be a bigger movie than The Odyssey this year, mostly because Christopher Nolan is the biggest director on the planet.

And the rollout for this movie shows that.

• Beijing Red Carpet First: The state-run China National Film Museum in Beijing hosted its first-ever red-carpet event for a Hollywood film, as Nolan and star Matt Damon walked the carpet to promote the movie.
• Massive Anticipation: Ahead of the wide release, over 252,000 users wishlisted The Odyssey on Maoyan (China's leading ticketing platform). That's the most of any movie ever.
• Hong Kong & Taiwan Performance: In nearby territories where the film is already in theaters. IMAX screens account for over 30% of total box-office revenue.
• The Oppenheimer Precedent: For context, Nolan's Oppenheimer grossed $66.8 million in China. More than 30% was generated directly from IMAX auditoriums.

The Changing Chinese Box Office

Hollywood and China have a tricky relationship that they are always working to navigate. It mirrors US-China relations, which have been up and down.

When favorable, China is one of the biggest markets where American movies can make money, but when they shut their doors, it can handicap a blockbuster from doing well worldwide.

I won't pretend to understand the trade tensions or other international disputes, but China's openness to the movie business is very good for Hollywood.

They have premium, large-format cinemas and an audience of billions who go to the movies.

Global Box-Office Trajectory

On paper, an R-rated, three-hour historical/mythological adaptation without an existing franchise safety net is a tough sell. But when Nolan put his name on The Odyssey, people lined up across the world to see it, and we're already seeing the box office reflect that.

However, The Odyssey has already grossed over $652 million globally before opening in China, South Korea, or Japan.

It seems right now hopes of a billion dollars were too low, and we could be talking about a more likely trajectory closer to 1.5 or 1.3 billion. Especially with the movie saturating so many screens across China.

This will be something to keep an eye on not just for this movie, but for other films coming out this year.

Will China stay open for titles like Digger and Dune 3?

If so, we could have a very robust year.

Let me know what you think in the comments.