IMAX Unveils New 70mm Film Camera “Keighley,” Debuts on Nolan’s The Odyssey

IMAX has formally named its new, smaller and quieter 70mm movie digital camera the “Keighley,” honoring the corporate’s late chief high quality officer David Keighley and his spouse Patricia, who continues to function IMAX’s chief high quality guru. The digital camera makes its debut on Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey, which turns into the primary theatrical launch shot fully with IMAX movie cameras.The naming announcement got here by way of Geoff Keighley, the couple’s son and creator of The Recreation Awards and Summer time Recreation Fest, who shared the information on X. David Keighley handed away on August 28, 2025, at age 77, simply days after finishing his assessment of dailies for The Odyssey. His profession at IMAX spanned greater than 5 many years, throughout which he oversaw post-production for greater than 500 IMAX movies and have become instrumental within the format’s rise from area of interest documentary screenings to mainstream Hollywood blockbusters.The brand new IMAX Keighley digital camera, named after IMAX chief high quality officer David Keighley and his spouse Patricia. Picture credit score: Geoff Keighley, by way of his InstagramA quieter design adjustments everythingThe Keighley digital camera represents a big technical development over earlier IMAX 70mm movie programs. Whereas earlier fashions have been cumbersome, heavy, and notoriously loud, the brand new digital camera’s most important enchancment is decreased noise throughout operation. This seemingly easy change has profound implications for manufacturing workflows.The sound points with earlier IMAX movie cameras pressured filmmakers like Nolan to make use of them selectively, switching between codecs throughout dialogue-heavy scenes. Oppenheimer, regardless of its IMAX-forward presentation, couldn’t be shot fully with IMAX movie cameras exactly due to these noise considerations. The Keighley adjustments that equation fully.Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey tickets for 70mm screenings have bought out inside minutes – a 12 months upfront. Picture credit score: UniversalChristopher Nolan’s The Odyssey makes historyWith the quieter Keighley digital camera now out there, Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s historic Greek epic turns into the primary theatrical characteristic shot fully on IMAX movie cameras. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, Nolan’s longtime collaborator who additionally shot Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer, returns behind the lens for The Odyssey. The movie stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, chronicling his legendary voyage dwelling from the Trojan Struggle, with a supporting solid that features Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron.Common launched a placing poster for the movie this week exhibiting what seems to be Damon’s Odysseus from behind, with a golden backbone connected to the again of his helmet. An almost six-minute prologue is at the moment exhibiting solely in IMAX theaters alongside Avatar: Hearth and Ash, giving audiences an early glimpse of what van Hoytema and the Keighley digital camera can ship.70mm movie screenings promote out a 12 months in advanceThe urge for food for seeing The Odyssey as Nolan meant has already confirmed extraordinary. When tickets went on sale in July 2025 for opening weekend IMAX 70mm movie projection screenings, 95% of seats bought out inside an hour, producing roughly $1.5 million in gross sales throughout simply 26 theaters worldwide. These venues signify the restricted variety of areas geared up with true 15/70 movie projection capabilities: 16 in america, six in Canada, two in the UK (together with BFI IMAX in London), one in Australia, and one within the Czech Republic.This sell-out applies particularly to genuine IMAX 70mm movie projection, not the broader community of roughly 1,800 digital IMAX screens worldwide. Just one showtime per theater was initially made out there for every of the primary 4 days of launch (July 16-19, 2026). IMAX has indicated that further 70mm areas and showtimes will probably be introduced nearer to the movie’s launch, and normal digital IMAX screenings together with standard theatrical runs will provide far better availability for audiences unable to safe 70mm tickets.Patricia Keighley, Chief High quality Guru at IMAX Company, standing proudly subsequent to the IMAX Keighley digital camera which was named after her and her late husband. Picture credit score: Geoff Keighley by way of his InstagramA legacy spanning 5 decadesDavid Keighley first entered the large-format business in 1972 alongside Patricia, his spouse and enterprise associate. Impressed by their expertise watching IMAX’s North of Superior, the newlyweds based large-format post-production firm David Keighley Productions that very same 12 months. Additionally they co-directed the IMAX movie Catch the Solar in 1972, shortly forming an enduring partnership with IMAX that may see them work on each one of many firm’s releases.In 1988, DKP 70MM was acquired by IMAX, and each Keighleys formally joined the workforce. For many years, no IMAX movie print left the lab with out David Keighley’s private approval. His meticulous consideration to element usually noticed him flying to IMAX screenings all over the world to personally test on projection high quality.IMAX CEO Wealthy Gelfond described Keighley as near the human embodiment of IMAX as there has ever been. The David Keighley Theater at IMAX’s Los Angeles workplaces was devoted by Christopher Nolan himself in 2015.Chris Nolan alongside IMAX pioneer David Keighley, who handed away at 77 in September 2025. Picture credit score: IMAXFilmmakers bear in mind a trusted partnerNolan’s tribute to Keighley speaks to the profound influence he had on up to date large-format filmmaking. In keeping with Nolan, Keighley’s experience and collaborative spirit put IMAX cameras into his fingers for the primary time and opened Hollywood’s eyes to the facility of the format, beginning with The Darkish Knight. Nolan additionally credited Keighley with serving to rally filmmakers and studios to make sure continued photochemical movie manufacturing when the format confronted an existential menace a decade in the past.Ryan Coogler, who labored with Keighley on Sinners, described turning into keen on visiting David and Patricia throughout IMAX assessment screenings. Coogler famous that anybody who has ever had their thoughts blown by the pictures in an IMAX theatrical presentation has David Keighley to thank for it.The way forward for IMAX filmmakingThe Keighley digital camera arrives as IMAX continues its outstanding development trajectory. The corporate achieved an estimated $1.2 billion in field workplace income in 2025 throughout its roughly 1,800 screens in 90 international locations. The “Filmed for IMAX” program has expanded to 14 titles in 2025, doubling the earlier 12 months’s whole.Denis Villeneuve has additionally utilized the brand new IMAX 70mm cameras for scenes within the upcoming Dune: Half Three, suggesting the Keighley’s quieter operation is already attracting filmmakers who beforehand relied on digital alternate options or used IMAX movie cameras sparingly.The Odyssey arrives solely in theaters on July 17, 2026.What do you consider IMAX naming its new digital camera after the Keighley household, and are you excited to see what Nolan and van Hoytema obtain with a complete movie shot on IMAX movie cameras? Don’t hesitate to tell us within the feedback beneath.