Christopher Nolan Is Poised to Derail Spider-Man: Brand New Day at the Box Office—Nine Months Before Release

Christopher Nolan is about to clog the IMAX pipes again, and if the current chatter pans out, Spider-Man might be the one getting squeezed. Here is what is actually going on and why it matters for two of 2026's biggest movies.

Nolan's 'The Odyssey' is gunning for an IMAX monopoly

Nolan's next epic, 'The Odyssey', was shot entirely on 70mm film and, unsurprisingly, looks set to dominate IMAX when it opens. Per an X post from Culture Crave on October 29, 2025, the film is expected to have an exclusive IMAX window from July 17 to August 14, 2026. Translation: for roughly four weeks, IMAX screens would be tied up with 'The Odyssey' and nothing else.

That is a big deal because Nolan fans turn out hard for premium formats. 'Oppenheimer' pulled around $190 million from IMAX alone. And with early pre-booking buzz already swirling for 'The Odyssey', it is not exactly a mystery why IMAX would want to lock down that window.

Bad timing for 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'

Marvel/Sony's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' lands two weeks after 'The Odyssey' on July 31, 2026. If the IMAX plan holds, Spidey would be shut out of IMAX for its entire first two weeks. That is not a death sentence for the box office — it is the first Spidey movie since 'No Way Home', so it is going to be huge — but it is a real hit to those premium-format dollars.

We have seen this movie before: 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning' lost premium screens quickly and felt it. Spider-Man will still clean up, but the IMAX boost is a different tier of money, and missing that early window hurts.

IMAX is expanding 70mm and upgrading screens ahead of 'The Odyssey'

Quick clarification: this is Cinemark, not Cinemax. IMAX and Cinemark have a new deal that adds more premium screens across the U.S. and South America, including the rare 70mm film setups Nolan favors. The plan includes:

• Four new IMAX with Laser installs
• Three new IMAX 70mm film screens in the U.S.
• Upgrades to 12 existing Cinemark IMAX auditoriums to IMAX with Laser 4K projection
• Rumored IMAX exclusivity: 'The Odyssey' from July 17 to August 14, 2026
• Release dates: 'The Odyssey' on July 17, 2026; 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' on July 31, 2026
• Context: 'Oppenheimer' generated about $190M from IMAX screenings alone

'Cinemark expanding its commitment to the very best of what Imax has to offer - both Imax with Laser and Imax 70mm film - underscores the value we are delivering for our exhibition partners in today's marketplace.'

- IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond

IMAX has also tweaked its 70mm film cameras to be lighter and quieter for this one — a niche, very nerdy upgrade that tells you how far everyone is going to roll out the red carpet for Nolan. With about nine months to go, the setup is clear: if IMAX keeps that four-week lock, Spider-Man starts its run without premium screens, then swings into IMAX later.

Bottom line: 'Brand New Day' will sell tickets no matter what, but if it were launching in a vacuum, it would be gobbling up those IMAX slots. Instead, it is walking into a buzzsaw named 'The Odyssey'.