Hollywood
The Odyssey IMAX Exclusivity to End as The End Of Oak Street Debuts; Spider-Man and Nolan Film Join Tuesday Discount Scheme
BY CHRISTA LINCY
The premium screen landscape in India is about to witness its first significant shift since July. For the past 24 days, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has enjoyed an unprecedented and exclusive run on IMAX screens across the country. According to reports from Bollywood Hungama, the film has amassed roughly 167 crore in total net collections, with a massive 74 crore coming solely from IMAX shows. This historic hold was made possible by the film's extraordinary reception, but the exclusivity is finally coming to an end this Independence Day weekend. Starting Friday, August 14, The Odyssey will begin sharing the IMAX format with the Anne Hathaway-starrer, The End Of Oak Street. As reported by Bollywood Hungama, the transition is expected to be smooth as both films are being handled by the same distribution team at Warner Bros in India. The strategy involves allocating two prime-time IMAX slots to the new dinosaur-themed spectacle, while the remaining three or four daily shows will continue to be held by the Nolan directorial. This ensures that the long-standing blockbuster still remains accessible to those who missed out on the initial weeks of its premium run. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The distribution team is reportedly being quite strategic with its demands for regular 2D screens as well. Recognizing the heavy competition from the two major Hindi releases, Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2, they are keeping their requirements reasonable. For cinemas with three screens, the Hollywood newcomer is asking for just two shows, while theaters with four or more screens are expected to provide about three shows. For 4DX and IMAX formats, the requirement remains fixed at two shows per day, allowing local content to breathe during the busy holiday window. In a surprising move for moviegoers today, August 11, both The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day are expected to see a massive spike in footfalls due to the Tuesday ticket offers. For the first time since its blockbuster release, Spider-Man has joined the discounted pricing scheme. Audiences can now find tickets for the superhero film in the range of 150 to 200 rupees for regular shows, with premium PXL screens priced at roughly 250 rupees. This is a significant change from last week when the film opted out of discounts due to its peak demand. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Perhaps the most noteworthy highlight for Tuesday is the pricing for The Odyssey. While the film has previously participated in regular screen discounts, its IMAX version is being offered at reduced rates for the very first time. Most IMAX theaters are currently selling tickets between 300 and 500 rupees. This rare move has resulted in extraordinary occupancy levels for the IMAX format today, as fans rush to experience the film on the biggest screens possible at nearly half the usual price. As the market prepares for a crowded August 14, these tactical discounts are helping the current titles maintain their momentum against the upcoming wave of new releases.