The Second Movie Entirely Shot In IMAX, Explained
If you were among the millions of moviegoers who headed to the theater to see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026), you probably know that the film is nothing short of a visual feast. Regardless of what viewers may think of the adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey or performances of the A-list cast, there’s no denying that the movie is a spectacle. It lives up to its $250 million budget, from sprawling beach scenes to shots that capture the sheer scale of the Trojan Horse, delivering a striking, immersive experience.
Part of the reason it’s so visually striking is that no other movie has been shot the same way. The Odyssey is the first-ever narrative feature film to be shot entirely on IMAX 70 mm film cameras. IMAX 70 mm film has a much larger image area than standard 35 mm film, resulting in a sharper image, higher resolution, and greater depth and detail. It’s a big part of why The Odyssey feels so immersive. Nolan set a major milestone, and also a fitting one for the filmmaker who revitalized IMAX film cameras in Hollywood with works like The Dark Knight (2008) and Dunkirk (2017). Now, though, another filmmaker is poised to complete a similar feat.
What’s the Second Movie To Be Shot Entirely In IMAX?
The second movie to be shot entirely in IMAX will arrive in theaters next year: Varanasi (2027). Varanasi is an Indian Telugu-language movie by director S.S. Rajamouli, the legendary filmmaker behind RRR (2022). RRR marked many firsts for Indian cinema, including the most expensive Indian movie ever made at the time and the first to win an Academy Award. Now, Rajamouli will continue setting milestones with Varanasi.
During an interview with Tsounami (via THR Indian), Rajamouli broke the exciting news that Varanasi was shot entirely on IMAX-certified digital cameras. While it is the second movie ever shot entirely in IMAX, it differs from The Odyssey in that it used IMAX digital cameras rather than 70 mm cameras. Still, Varanasi marks the first-ever Indian film shot entirely in IMAX and joins Nolan as one of the exclusive films shot in true IMAX format.
What To Expect From 'Varanasi'
Varanasi is the kind of film that seems perfectly poised for the IMAX experience. Rajamouli has been a bit tight-lipped on the specifics of the plot, but promises a “globe-trotting” adventure steeped in Indian culture. The film follows the adventures of a man named Rudhra (Mahesh Babu) as the city of Varanasi prepares for the impact of an imminent asteroid. Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran also appear in the movie.
Rajamouli wasn’t exaggerating when he described the film as a “globe-trotting” adventure, as filming took place all over the world. 80% of the movie has been filmed, with shoots taking place across India and Africa. In early 2026, Babu teased on social media that the crew was also heading to Antarctica for filming. If Varanasi were to film in Antarctica, it would be one of the very few films to have braved the coldest continent on Earth for production.
As its IMAX format and $150 million budget may have already revealed, Varanasi is set to feature dazzling visuals, including multiple VFX-heavy action sequences. To complete the VFX-heavy scenes on time, Rajamouli filmed them first so post-production could begin while filming continued. Although details of the plot remain scarce, Rajamouli has described the film as an Indian take on classic action-adventure stories like those featuring James Bond and Indiana Jones.
Other IMAX Movies To Watch Before 'Varanasi'
The Odyssey is the first narrative feature film to be shot entirely in IMAX, though a few experimental and documentary-style films had achieved the feat before Nolan. Additionally, several films were shot partially with IMAX 70 mm cameras before Nolan took the leap with a film shot entirely in IMAX. As mentioned above, he revitalized IMAX filming with some of his earlier films.
Nolan proved that the IMAX 70 mm cameras were well-suited to superhero movies. The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) were filmed partly in IMAX, demonstrating how the heightened physical scale was well suited to stories that depict larger-than-life figures. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) followed suit with partial IMAX filming. While further epic-scale sci-fi and action films, such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and Dune: Part Three (2026), have hopped on the IMAX train, the format is also well-suited to more personal and historical stories. The biographical films Oppenheimer (2023) and The Smashing Machine (2025) were also filmed partially in IMAX, taking full advantage of the format to paint intimate, hyper-detailed portraits of their subjects.
If you’re looking for films that will more closely follow Varanasi’s format, you can also check out galaxy-trotting adventures like The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) and Project Hail Mary (2026), which were filmed partially with IMAX-certified digital cameras.
