A new set of tickets for 70mm Imax screenings of “The Odyssey” were released this week, and many of the new screenings sold out within hours.

In New York and Los Angeles, there are no 70mm Imax tickets available until August 19, a sign of the frenzy to see Christopher Nolan’s epic in the premium large format. And in London, 70mm Imax screenings are sold out until September 10, almost two months after the film’s release. More Imax 70mm screenings will be added to meet intense demand. But the question is: how long can “The Odyssey” stay on those coveted screens, which only exist in 25 theaters in the United States and 41 worldwide?

Upcoming Imax releases include the Aug. 14 sci-fi survival movie “The End of Oak Street” (also starring Anne Hathaway) and Zach Cregger’s version of “Resident Evil,” opening Sept. 18. While those titles, each filmed for Imax, will be released in premium format, that doesn’t mean “The Odyssey” will have to abandon Imax screens entirely.

An Imax spokesperson says Variety The company’s next commitment to 70mm Imax is “Dune: Part Three.” That means he’s not contractually obligated to give up those screens until the release of Denis Villeneuve’s film in December. That said, the spokesperson indicated that “The Odyssey” is highly unlikely to play in Imax 70mm during that month, adding that it will likely return in the format multiple times through the end of the year.

A similar madness occurred in 2023 with Nolan’s latest film, “Oppenheimer.” Imax extended the 70mm showing of the film twice due to demand, but finally, on September 1, exhibitors had to give up screens to Denzel Washington’s “The Equalizer 3.” In February 2024, before the Oscars, “Oppenheimer” returned once again in Imax 70 mm. “The Odyssey,” which is also generating awards buzz, will surely take a similar path, but has a much longer Imax 70mm track than “Oppenheimer.”

Tickets for select screenings of “The Odyssey” first went on sale a year before the film’s July 17 release. Still, demand for the successful adaptation of Homer’s epic poem has exceeded expectations. The film grossed $123.5 million domestically in its opening weekend, the third-best U.S. debut of the year, and grossed $263.8 million worldwide to become the top release of Nolan’s career. Imax was over-indexed, and the company’s screens generated a record $51.8 million. It helped that Nolan has been a big proponent of Imax, praising the format as the optimal way to watch his films. “The Odyssey” is the first film shot entirely with Imax cameras.

Movie theaters have struggled to meet demand for Imax screens, adding showings at 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., for example. Fans have traveled across state lines to see the film in 70mm Imax, and scalpers are selling tickets.

“The Odyssey” has received near-unanimous critical praise, and Nolan set his sights on another big year at the Oscars following his dominant year with “Oppenheimer” in 2024. Universal Pictures released the R-rated “Odyssey,” which runs nearly three hours and cost a hefty $250 million to produce.