Sorry, Marvel fans, but if you were counting on seeing Tom Holland’s “Spider‑Man: Brand New Day” next year on IMAX, then you’re out of luck. The freshly unveiled 2026 IMAX slate is out, and guess what’s missing? “Spider‑Man: Brand New Day.”
In any normal year, the July 31 release date for “Brand New Day” would’ve made it an IMAX no‑brainer, but no dice this time — and it’s all because of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.” Nolan shot the film entirely on IMAX cameras, and it’s reserved every IMAX screen until August 14.
If Spidey wants those giant screens, it’ll need to shift its release. Otherwise, there’s simply no getting around it. The upside for Holland is that he’s also in “The Odyssey,” playing Telemachus, the son of Matt Damon’s Odysseus.
The fact remains that Nolan secured a four‑week IMAX run because he always comes first. It’s loyalty. How would IMAX even look today if Nolan had never shot “The Dark Knight” on it—or any of his other films? Nolan, and his films, were really the catalyst for their growth.
“The Odyssey” reportedly has a budget of around $250M and will utilize brand-new, state-of-the-art IMAX cameras, with cinematography by Nolan’s go-to DP, Hoyte Van Hoytema. Tickets for the 70mm IMAX showings actually went on sale this summer and sold out most of their showings (25,000+ tickets over 22 locations)
Of course, I’m sure “Brand New Day” will still be a major hit, but missing out on the more expensive IMAX showings is somewhat of a blow for a film that could have made many millions more if it were released at another time of year.
“The Odyssey” launches July 17, 2026. “Spider‑Man: Brand New Day” follows on July 31, 2026.
Criterion's December lineup has some great additions to the library, but the title that jumped out at me is Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man," which officially joins the Collection on December 8.