The nearest 70mm IMAX screen isn't in your town.

IMAX 70mm is the format where the movie is shot and projected on real 70mm film, run horizontally through the projector so each frame is enormous. On screen it fills a 1.43:1 frame — nearly square, floor to ceiling — instead of the wide, letterboxed rectangle you get everywhere else. That tall frame is the whole point: you see up to 40% more picture than a standard screen shows. Only a few dozen venues on Earth can project it, and 34 of them are in North America.

Most theaters branded "IMAX" today are digital IMAX with Laser, projecting a 1.90:1 image — wide, bright, and sharp, but shorter than the full frame. IMAX 70mm projects real film at 1.43:1, which is noticeably taller and shows more of the shot. The number to look for is the aspect ratio, not the word "IMAX": 1.43:1 is what you came for, 1.90:1 is the wide one. Older IMAX Digital with xenon bulbs is the dimmest of the three and the least worth travelling for.

There are 34 in North America — 25 in the United States and 9 in Canada — and only a few dozen worldwide. That scarcity is why seeing a film in 70mm IMAX usually means a trip: most people in the US do not live in one of the 25 metros that has a screen. California has the most with 8; several large metros, Houston among them, have none at all.

Use the locator above: enter where you are starting from, or tap "use my current location," and the full list of 34 real 70mm IMAX theater locations re-sorts by distance from you, closest first, with the straight-line mileage on every row. Screens are concentrated in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, Denver, and the Chicago and Toronto areas. If the nearest one is a few hours out, the fare link on each theater beside it prices the bus or train there.

Weeks, not days. The busy screens sell out well ahead, and when theaters add new showtimes they go fast. If a specific date or a good seat matters, book as early as you can. Cancellations do free seats up last-minute, so keep checking if your first try comes up empty.

The best seats at the busiest screens, often yes, especially opening weeks and weekend nights. But daytime and weekday shows loosen up as the run goes on, and screens keep releasing new dates. "Sold out" usually means the show you wanted, not every show.

For most people, the aspect ratio. A 1.43:1 screen gives you the tall, floor-to-ceiling frame the movie was shot for. A 1.90:1 screen is wider and shorter, so you lose the top and bottom no matter how sharp it looks. If you have to choose, the 1.43:1 is what you are chasing.

If there's a good screen near you, see it now. The movie is the movie, and a bright 1.90:1 laser showing is a great night out. If you love it, catch a 70mm show later when tickets loosen up. The only real reason to hold out is if a true 1.43:1 screen is genuinely within reach and you'd rather wait than settle.

Not right now. These screens run one film at a time, and at the moment that's The Odyssey. The next big 70mm release is Dune: Part Three in December. So if 70mm is the goal, this is the movie to see it with.

Dune: Part Three takes the slot in December 2026, and Project Hail Mary is the next one after that. Because these theaters run a single film at a time, the schedule is effectively a queue: when one run ends, the next 70mm title moves in. The theater list on this page does not change between films — the same 34 screens carry whatever is playing — so it is worth bookmarking if you already know you want to catch Dune: Part Three or Project Hail Mary in 70mm IMAX rather than a 1.90:1 laser house.

Middle of the room, a little back. The screen is enormous, and close seats make you pan your eyes around to catch everything (and do your neck no favors). Center lets you take in the whole frame at once. The good center seats go first, which is one more reason to book early.

Both come up a lot. The sound is big and can hit hard in the loudest moments, though most people find it thrilling rather than painful. And yes, some of the darker, close-up stretches look murkier on film than on a bright digital screen. Neither tends to ruin the movie.