When a one-of-a-kind director helms an epic cinematic masterpiece unlike any other, you roll out the red carpet for him.
For cinema-chain legend Shaw Theatres, that means wheeling out the original 1993 Ushio U-Tech 35mm film projectors with DTS and SRD sound formats for its refurbished Shaw Lido, where it will be fitted in the new Lido 1 and Lumiere Grand halls.
And the special star is Christopher Nolan’s fantasy epic The Odyssey, opening in theatres on 16 July 2026, where Shaw Theatres will be having a special 35mm print version of the film, the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia (SEA).
So while cinemas around the world are screening the film in digital formats, there are fewer than 400 global locations capable of screening the movie in 35mm, and Singapore is the only place in SEA.
For context, The Odyssey, which is the first movie to be shot entirely on large format IMAX film cameras (previous attempts only saw segments of the movie shot on IMAX cameras), will be available in seven formats globally – IMAX 70mm, IMAX, 70mm film, 35mm film, Dolby Cinema, Premium Large Format (PLF), and Digital 2D, with cinemas in Singapore showing IMAX, 35mm and Digital 2D. While IMAX and Digital 2D are commonplace, the use of 35mm film is not something often seen in current cinemas – with the digital cinema package (DCP) being the standard delivery format for film screenings – and instead left to independent cinemas like Singapore’s Filmhouse.
For Mr. Christopher Shaw, Executive Vice President of Shaw Theatres, the 35mm version serves as a treat to cinephiles as the last film print to be screened as a wide release was 13 years ago, with Hyde Park on Hudson on 13 March 2013.
“With our recent significant renovation of Lido, we restored and brought back two original 1993 35mm film projectors to better support film festivals as well as events that screen 35mm films,” he noted.
“It is serendipitous that our first screening of 35mm film will be the blockbuster The Odyssey, which was shot entirely on film. Lido is the only place in Southeast Asia that will be showing The Odyssey on real celluloid film! So do come see it. It is truly an experience you can only get in a movie theatre.”
What makes 35mm so special is that it offers a window into the theatrical experiences of the past. Once the standard film format before the conversion to digital projection, 35mm film has four perforations and runs vertically through the projector, shown at a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. 35mm film captures movies using a light-sensitive chemical emulsion on physical celluloid, prized for its organic grain, rich colour depth, and soft highlight roll-off. While modern digital projections pride themselves on pristine clarity, some argue that this can sometimes seem too “clinical” compared to its analogue counterpart, which offers a more organic and “authentic” experience in comparison.
And as luck would have it, part of the original Shaw Theatres team of projectionists and technicians proficient in handling 35mm film and film projectors are still around, and are also starting to train a new crop of projectionists on the machines. With The Odyssey’s 2 hour and 52 minutes runtime, it requires nine film reels to be spliced together. The Odyssey on 35mm will only be screened at Lumiere Grand, a large-format hall with two types of seating options: a section in the middle with 36 Lumiere recliner
seats and classic sofa-style seats around the rest of the hall to cater to patrons looking for a cinematic experience in comfort and in a large hall.
While Nolan’s epic used large-format 70mm film to capture every scene for the largest possible screens, few cinemas around the world are capable of screening the film’s intended IMAX 70mm version, which is also the famed director’s preferred vision of the film. The closest true 70mm IMAX-equipped cinema capable of handling this format is IMAX Sydney in Darling Harbour, Australia, which leaves audiences in Singapore with the next best film version.
“I’m a big fan of film history, particularly the silent era. Some of the attractions of cinema to audiences back then were things that also speak to audiences now. Extraordinary sets, extraordinary locations, a cast of thousands. Part of the
appeal of those spectacles was that these effects were generated practically, with real
sets, locations and scores of extras,” says Nolan.
“Over time, with visual effects technology, a lot of that got lost. What has long interested me is the ability to combine those two things to create the most immersive and powerful experience possible. We can return to an older era of filmmaking, where ‘in-camera’ spectacle was everything for audiences. But we can also address the fantasy through the power of visual effects. For me, this synthesis was an appeal of the project. We are trying to do it all. Which seems totally appropriate for what The Odyssey is and needs to be on screen.”
Written and directed by Nolan, The Odyssey marks the 13th addition to the filmmaker’s repertoire and his first foray into historical fiction. Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Charlize Theron as Calypso, and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, the film sees Odysseus facing a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Circe along the way.
To mark the release of The Odyssey on 35mm film, Shaw Theatres will also be hosting special promotions related to the film:
- A3 35mm artwork movie poster for each 35mm ticket purchased (limited to 650 posters)
- Exclusive contest to win one limited edition 35mm Film Cap with two tickets purchased for the 35 mm format from 16 to 31 July 2026 (limited to 2 winners)
- A3 IMAX movie poster for each IMAX ticket purchased (limited to 6,000 posters)
- Exclusive The Odyssey pin for a minimum of two IMAX tickets purchased (Limited to 2,000 units total with 4 designs [new design released every Thursday], with those who collect all 4 designs able to enter a lucky draw to win movie merchandise set [limited to 5 winners])
- A3 movie poster for each premiere hall ticket purchased (limited to 500 posters)
- A3 movie poster for each Lumiere hall ticket purchased (limited to 500 posters, not valid for Lumiere Grand)
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
