Celebration Cinema Among Select Theaters Showing New Christopher Nolan Film
The summer of 2023 was marked by one of the biggest moments in cinematic history: Barbenheimer, the simultaneous release of blockbusters "Barbie" by Greta Gerwig and "Oppenheimer" by Christopher Nolan. These wildly different films became a cultural moment, causing both films to exceed earning expectations.
A large portion of Oppenheimer's $80.5 million opening came from IMAX screenings, as Christopher Nolan famously films his movies on 70mm film reels. This format is a truly special way to watch a movie, but since most movie theaters use digital projection and don't have the equipment to project a film reel of this size, a very limited number of theaters worldwide can utilize this format.
Thankfully, West Michigan is fortunate enough to have Celebration Cinema North, which can project these massive film reels - even if it requires the company to fly in someone with the know-how to run the machine.
Now in 2026, Christopher Nolan is releasing his next epic film, and once again, Celebration Cinema North was shortlisted as 1 of 26 theaters worldwide capable of showing it.
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey"
Christopher Nolan's latest film is his most ambitious ever, filming his adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey from 800 BCE entirely on IMAX film cameras. Tickets for this epic surprise were released yesterday and sold out instantly. Once again, a film not scheduled for release until next year has already sold out.
IMAX's announcement, showcasing every theater showing the movie in 70mm IMAX, includes many big-name cities, and then there's good ol' Grand Rapids, as one of the 26 theaters worldwide showing it "how the film is meant to be seen."
Considering that Oppenheimer's 70mm film reel was 11 miles long and weighed 600 pounds, it's impossible to estimate how large this reel will be. The only way to find out is to see The Odyssey in theaters (on July 17th, 2026.
