'The Odyssey' fever: Christopher Nolan fans delay pregnancies, travel cross-country for IMAX shows

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is already generating extraordinary buzz ahead of its July 17 release, with fans across the United States making unusual personal commitments to watch the film in IMAX 70mm.

The film has attracted intense interest as it is the first feature to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras, driving demand for the limited number of theatres capable of screening the 70mm format.

Among those making personal sacrifices is 29-year-old tech editor Amber Connaghan, who lives in California's desert region. Speaking to Variety, she said she delayed plans to have a second child so she could attend the film's opening-day screening.

"One of my friends got pregnant last year, and she's like, 'OK, it's time for you to have your second child,'" Connaghan said.

"I was like, 'No, I have to wait a few months. Otherwise, it's going to be too close to ‘The Odyssey.’"

Others are travelling long distances to secure what they believe will be the definitive viewing experience. Pittsburgh resident Tim McHugh is flying to Los Angeles to watch the film at Universal CityWalk, according to Tribune.

McHugh told Variety that watching a film in IMAX 70mm had been on his bucket list "since I saw Ryan Coogler do a video about the screenings for 'Sinners.'"

Recalling his time operating projectors at a local cinema during high school, he added, "So much of my after-school life was spent lacing projectors that I fell in love with movies. You feel connected to the medium when you're putting your hands on film like that."

Ticket rush overwhelms booking platforms

According to Variety, Universal took the unusual step of putting IMAX tickets for The Odyssey on sale a year before the film's release. Most screenings reportedly sold out within hours, while subsequent ticket releases triggered long virtual queues and repeated website crashes.

Los Angeles-based filmmaker Conrad Rothbaum described the booking process as stressful.

"It was harrowing. I was on a text chain with friends, and we were all trying to get tickets at the same time. We're just refreshing and refreshing and the site keeps crashing. Finally, two of my friends texted me that they were done. And when I saw those texts, I thought, 'Now is the time to log back in because all the reasonable people have given up,' and I got my ticket," he told Variety.

Spencer Frey, a 27-year-old recruiting consultant from Hoboken, New Jersey, decided to visit an AMC Theatres location in New York City during his lunch break after failing to book tickets online.

"It was pandemonium in there," Frey told Variety. “I've never seen so many people packed into the lobby on a weekday, all trying to use a kiosk.”

About 'The Odyssey'

Based on the ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey follows Odysseus as he embarks on a perilous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, encountering mythical figures including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and Calypso along the way.

Matt Damon plays Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, while Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland portray his wife and son. The film also features Antinous, who seeks to claim the queen during Odysseus' absence.

Directed by Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey marks the filmmaker's first feature since Oppenheimer, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.