IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond discusses the record-breaking theatrical debut of Christopher Nolan's 'The Claman Countdown.'
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond described the success of Christopher Nolan's action epic “The Odyssey” as “a frenzy” while discussing the opening weekend of his record-breaking blockbuster “The Claman Countdown.”
“Odyssey,” directed by the legendary Christopher Nolan, took the box office by storm over the weekend after its Friday debut, bringing in more than $124 million in ticket sales.
“They always say, 'Does the movie have legs? We'll find out.' “We've already established that the film has legs,” Gelfond said on Tuesday.
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IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond visits FOX Business Network's “Claman Countdown” at Fox Business Network Studios on July 21, 2026 in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images/Getty Images)
The nearly three-hour episode is based on Homer's 3,000-year-old poem “The Odyssey” and was filmed exclusively on IMAX 70mm film cameras.
“Chris Nolan made a brilliant film, and without a brilliant film there would be nothing,” said Gelfond. “But I think IMAX was like a booster for that movie.”
Gelfond said the hit movie sold out late-night and early-morning showtimes with moviegoers rushing to see the film's A-list cast, including Matt Damon and Zendaya, on the big screen.
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Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, and Zendaya attend the premiere of “The Odyssey” presented by Universal Pictures on July 14, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Universal Pictures / Getty Images)
“What showtimes are sold out?” FOX Business host Liz Claman asked.
“Midnight, 3 a.m., 6 a.m. People I haven't heard from in years say, 'Do you miss me? I'm in town. Call to say hi. By the way, do you have any extra tickets?'” Gelfond said. “Sure, it's busy. There's no other word for it.”
A film executive called the film's immediate success “crazy and exciting,” telling FOX Business about the call from Nolan that started it all.
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The newly renovated theater in Regal Oviedo, where the “Minecraft movie” is shown. (Pilar Arias/Fox News)
“Chris called me more than a year ago in February 2024, and he said, 'I want to make the whole film in IMAX, but the camera is not quiet enough. It is not wide enough. I need more projectionists, “explains Gelfond. “He gave us a list of 10 to 15 things. And he said, 'I need these done, and I'm going to do the whole movie in IMAX.'
“We met the challenge. And it was not easy to do and it took a lot of resources, but it worked. And obviously, the financial results and the aesthetic results speak for themselves.”
Gelfond expects “The Odyssey” to increase demand for IMAX films.
More than 2 million IMAX films were used to make “The Odyssey” and Gelfond predicts that the movie will bring more attraction to the giant screen of his movie.
With only 41 70mm screens in the world, Claman asked Gelfond if the company wanted to expand IMAX theaters.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond discusses the diversity of films nominated for the 2026 Academy Awards, Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Pictures and more from 'The Claman Countdown.'
The CEO said screens, which take as much care to produce as a luxury car, are difficult to mass-produce.
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“A lot of parts don't work anymore,” Gelfond told FOX Business.
“It's almost like a Rolls-Royce. The parts, the economic model… So there are limited areas where the economy can work, but we're always looking for new ideas and we're building.”
