Only three UK cinemas are able to show The Odyssey exactly as it should be watched

The cinema event of the year is upon us, but not everyone will be able to watch The Odyssey as Christopher Nolan intended.

That's because only three cinemas in the United Kingdom have the capability of showing films in IMAX 70mm.

The BFI IMAX in Waterloo and IMAX: The Ronson Theatre, in the Science Museum, both in London, and Manchester's VUE IMAX Printworks are the only cinemas in the whole of the country with the equipment necessary to show the film how Nolan wants viewers to watch it.

If you're lucky enough to live near one of those theatres, you may still find it tough to see the film in all its glory as tickets for a lot of the showings have long since sold out.

In Manchester, there are only a handful of seats available in the coming weeks, mostly on the front rows.

So if you want to have the best possible viewing experience, you need to get those tickets booked now.

The difference between IMAX 70mm and a regular cinema screen is startling. Images from the film are going viral on social media showing just how much detail is missed in scenes when watching on a standard screen.

One example sees how Benny Safdie's character, Agamemnon, has the top of his helmet cut off in a normal screening, while it can be seen in full in 70mm.

The official website for The Odyssey allows you to watch the trailer in six different aspect ratios so you can really see the difference.

Why Christopher Nolan loves IMAX 70mm

Nolan is a big lover of IMAX - with 2014's Interstellar, 2017's Dunkirk, 2020's Tenet and 2023's Oppenheimer all partially shot using IMAX cameras.

The Odyssey, however, is the first commercial film to be shot entirely on IMAX.

These cameras capture a much larger image than typical cameras, which is bigger than the majority of cinema screens can display.

Giant reels of film are needed to project the movie at full size, using outdated equipment that is becoming increasingly rare.

There are even just 25 IMAX 70mm screens in the entirety of the USA, with one IMAX source telling Variety the parts needed to make the projectors 'simply no longer exist.'

The vast majority of cinemas worldwide have made the transition to digital projection only and don't have the ability to show IMAX 70mm as a result.

Nolan sang the praises of IMAX 70mm ahead of the release of Oppenheimer.

"The sharpness and the clarity and the depth of the image is unparalleled," he told AP.

"The headline, for me, is: By shooting on IMAX 70mm film, you're really letting the screen disappear.

"You're getting a feeling of 3D without the glasses. You've got a huge screen, and you're filling the peripheral vision of the audience.

"You're immersing them in the world of the film."

You'll be able to watch The Odyssey at any other cinema in the country, but just not how Nolan really wants you to.

The Odyssey: What you need to know

Written: Between 725 BC and 675 BC, so more than 2,500 years ago

Based on a true story? Mostly no (cyclops aren’t real). Historians are unsure if Trojan War really happened

Who wrote The Odyssey? Homer, but historians don't know much about him and debate if he is a single person or a group of poets

How long is the movie: 2hrs, 52mins - best go to the loo beforehand

Elon Musk has criticised The Odyssey

Nasty surprises from inside Trojan Horses have been consigned to the film, with The Odyssey releasing to wide critical acclaim.

The retelling of Homer's Greek epic, one of the oldest surviving stories in human history, hasn't been without controversy, though.

Elon Musk has been the most high-profile critic of the film's 'historical accuracy', with complaints ranging from the modern-day accents and verbiage used by actors like Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson to the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy.

Helen of Troy, along with Matt Damon's titular Odysseus and every other character, is a completely made-up figure of mythical legend.

Nolan shrugged off the moaning over the casting, telling The Telegraph: "These conversations that happen before people see the film — they're always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet."

The Odyssey is available to watch in cinemas now.