Mostly, yes.
For decades the people who insisted a film should be seen on film were a hobby. This summer they were the market. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey opened on 17 July, and only 25 US theatres could show it in IMAX 70mm. Tickets for those screenings went on sale a year ahead, in July 2025; thousands sold within minutes, and most screenings were sold out when AV Club reported it that day. The IMAX 70mm run was later extended by a month, and LA Magazine noted fans paying hundreds of dollars on eBay for sold-out IMAX tickets. In Glendale, the Alex Theatre, a 1925 concert hall that had not shown a first-run film on celluloid since Terminator 2 in 1991, spent weeks building a 70mm booth. Its artistic director, Miles Williams, says demand for projected film is strong among Gen Z.
“The nerds argued that the format is part of the film. A crowd has now paid to find out.”
That shows wanting, not a verdict, and one Nolan film in one format proves little alone. What makes it harder to dismiss is that the money came first. The Egyptian reopened after a $70 million Netflix renovation, the Vista came back under Quentin Tarantino and Vidiots returned to Eagle Rock, all in 2023, long before anyone queued for The Odyssey. The summer was the test.
Nitrate
The Egyptian on Hollywood Boulevard and the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum can both project nitrate, a format only a handful of American cinemas can handle. The Egyptian also runs 35mm and 70mm. Time Out reported in May that it would close from 8 June for technical upgrades, with a reopening expected in the autumn. No date had been published at last check, so confirm it is open before planning around it.
70mm
The Vista in Los Feliz reopened on 11 November 2023 with True Romance on 35mm. Its 70mm and VistaVision runs have reportedly sold out for weeks. The Alex has said it will keep programming 35mm and 70mm. The Bruin in Westwood, from 1937, reopened on 23 October under a new operator. It has restored 35mm and 70mm projectors, but its first bookings are new releases, so check what is on film.
35mm and 16mm
The New Beverly on Fairfax has shown only film since 2014, and many of its prints come from Tarantino's own collection. Vidiots in Eagle Rock, back since June 2023 after leaving Santa Monica, runs 35mm and 16mm beside a rental library. The American Cinematheque also programmes the Aero in Santa Monica.
On the way
The Directors Village, bought by a collective of film directors that includes Nolan and Emma Thomas, is due back in 2027 after a $25 million renovation. Kristen Stewart announced in February that she is restoring the Highland Theatre in Highland Park as a community cinema, with no reopening date, and the Cinerama Dome is due back in early 2028 under Sony and Alamo.
Where the nerds were wrong, or not yet right
They were right about demand, rooms and the pull of a format. They have not shown that film makes a better movie, and a bad film on 70mm is still a bad film. The Directors Village, the Highland and the Cinerama Dome are still to open, the Egyptian's return is unconfirmed, and one Nolan summer does not make a habit. But the bet is older than the summer, and the people with money have already placed it.
What to do with it
Choose the evening by the format. For 70mm, the Vista or the Alex. For nitrate, the Egyptian once it is confirmed open, or the Academy Museum. For a double bill on film, the New Beverly. Programmes change weekly, so check the current schedule before you book.
