Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is set for a major theatrical rollout in mainland China, where the Universal Pictures epic will open on more than 20,000 screens, including approximately 90% of the country’s IMAX footprint. The film is scheduled to open across China on August 14, giving it access to one of the world’s largest theatrical markets as it enters the next stage of its global box-office run.
According to distributor data, The Odyssey had accumulated RMB39.5 million ($5.9 million) in presales as of August 12, while its combined preview and presale gross had reached RMB91 million ($13.5 million) ahead of the wide release. Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan Pro was forecasting an opening-day gross of RMB70.4 million ($10.4 million) based on the available tracking at the time.
The figures are particularly notable given the scale of the film’s Chinese screen allocation. The Odyssey is being booked across more than 20,000 screens, while approximately 90% of China’s nearly 800 IMAX locations are expected to carry the film. IMAX has also confirmed that its allocation will remain in place despite Spider-Man: Brand New Day continuing its successful run in Chinese cinemas.
The decision gives Nolan’s film a significant premium-format presence in a market where IMAX can be an important component of the box office for large-scale event films. That factor is particularly relevant to The Odyssey, which was filmed entirely with IMAX cameras and has been positioned as a large-format theatrical experience from the beginning of its release campaign.
The Chinese release comes after The Odyssey has already crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, with its global haul reaching roughly $1.1 billion according to the latest figures cited in the reporting. China therefore represents one of the film’s important remaining theatrical markets and could provide a substantial additional contribution to its final worldwide total.
The film also enters China with a strong advantage in terms of its filmmaker’s reputation. Nolan has previously established a significant following in the territory through films including Interstellar, Inception and Oppenheimer. The latter was particularly notable for its performance despite being a dialogue-driven historical drama rather than a conventional action blockbuster.
The scale of the China rollout also comes at an interesting moment for Hollywood releases in the territory. Domestic Chinese productions have become increasingly dominant in the market, while Hollywood films have faced a more challenging theatrical environment. Against that backdrop, the decision to give The Odyssey such a broad release and retain approximately 90% of the country’s IMAX network highlights the commercial expectations surrounding Nolan’s latest film.
The film’s Chinese release is also taking place while Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains a strong performer in the territory. Rather than reducing The Odyssey’s premium-format footprint to accommodate the Marvel title, IMAX has confirmed that its planned allocation will remain intact. The overlap gives audiences two major Hollywood event films competing for attention while allowing The Odyssey to maintain an unusually large IMAX presence.
Nolan has also travelled to China as part of an extensive promotional campaign for the film, accompanied by producer Emma Thomas and stars Matt Damon and Charlize Theron. The multi-stop tour included a Beijing photocall, interviews and fan events designed to build anticipation ahead of the theatrical opening.
One of the promotional events took place at Universal Beijing Resort’s Universal CityWalk Cinema, where a fan screening was organised in partnership with Red Note, the Chinese social-media platform. Hundreds of influencers and film fans attended a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers and cast. The event generated more than 10 trending topics on Red Note within hours, giving the campaign a substantial social-media presence in the market.
Nolan’s visit also included a more personal moment when Thomas and Theron surprised the director with a birthday cake during a Beijing courtyard photocall centred around a more than 100-year-old maple tree. Nolan, Thomas and Theron subsequently participated in the promotional activities, while Damon and Theron also met with four Chinese content creators whose combined social-media following exceeds 100 million.
The promotional push reflects the importance of China to the film’s next stage of theatrical performance. While The Odyssey has already achieved a major global milestone, the size of its Chinese release gives it the opportunity to extend its worldwide run significantly if the film converts its strong presales into sustained audience demand.
Industry forecasts for the film’s eventual Chinese total have varied considerably, reflecting the uncertainty around Hollywood titles in the current market. The opening-day projection of RMB70.4 million provides an initial benchmark, but the more important indicator will be how the film performs after its first day and through its opening weekend.
The presale figure of RMB39.5 million as of August 12 and the combined preview and presale figure of RMB91 million indicate strong advance interest, but they should be treated as pre-release tracking rather than a guarantee of the film’s eventual performance. The figures will naturally change as the August 14 release progresses.
For The Odyssey, the combination of Nolan’s established Chinese audience, a huge theatrical footprint, an unusually broad IMAX allocation and strong advance sales creates a significant opportunity. The film does not need China to establish its blockbuster credentials — it has already crossed $1 billion worldwide — but a strong run in the territory could push its final global total considerably higher.
The key figures to watch now will be the film’s opening-day gross, IMAX performance and weekend hold. With more than 20,000 Chinese screens available and approximately 90% of the country’s IMAX network allocated to the film, The Odyssey has been given one of the largest possible theatrical platforms for its Chinese release.
Its performance from August 14 onward will determine whether the strong advance interest translates into the kind of sustained box-office run that could make China one of the most important contributors to The Odyssey’s final worldwide total.
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