The theatrical run of Christopher Nolan's $250 million epic The Odyssey—the first feature film shot entirely on 15/70mm IMAX film—has reignited a fierce debate across the United States in October 2026 over commercial multiplex projection standards and the viral "LieMAX" label. At the center of the controversy is a widely circulated claim that standard digital IMAX auditoriums regularly crop out 40 percent of standard movie frames. However, technical projection specifications and exhibition data show that this figure is a misinterpretation of how expanded aspect ratios work. Rather than cutting into standard widescreen movies, most commercial digital IMAX venues project a wider 1.90:1 frame that cannot display the full vertical height of rare movies captured for taller 1.43:1 screens.

The confusion stems from a conflation of conventional cinema framing and specialized large-format photography. While a viewer watching a 1.43:1 film on a standard widescreen cinema canvas misses roughly 40.2 percent of the expanded vertical frame, commercial 1.90:1 digital IMAX theaters actually reveal more image than regular theaters, even if they fall short of traditional 70mm film venues.

Where the 40 Percent Cropping Claim Originated

The debate gained fresh momentum in an October 14, 2026 opinion column by Ryan Denkovic in The Rider News, which examined the growing industry trend of marketing movies such as Dune: Part Three, Digger, and November's Godzilla Minus Zero as "filmed for IMAX". Focusing on The Odyssey, Denkovic wrote that because 70mm IMAX uses a tall 1.43:1 aspect ratio, audiences who do not watch the movie in an IMAX 70mm theater lose "a whopping 40% of the actual image".

As the talking point spread online, it morphed into a broader accusation that digital IMAX projectors in commercial multiplexes routinely chop 40 percent off standard movie frames. According to technical documentation compiled by whatisimax.com, the 40 percent figure only applies when comparing a full-height 1.43:1 IMAX frame directly against a conventional 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen (scope) frame of equal width.

When three equal-width frames are nested around the same center, the 1.43:1 format displays the full vertical image. Stepping down to a 1.90:1 digital IMAX frame removes 24.7 percent of that vertical area from the top and bottom, while stepping down to a conventional 2.39:1 scope frame removes 40.2 percent in total. Looking at the math in reverse from a standard moviegoer's perspective, a 1.90:1 digital IMAX presentation actually delivers 25.8 percent more picture area than a standard 2.39:1 scope screen, while a 1.43:1 presentation delivers 67.1 percent more image area than scope.

Consequently, a commercial digital IMAX projector never crops 40 percent out of a standard 2.39:1 or 1.85:1 theatrical movie. When showing a conventional widescreen release that lacks expanded IMAX footage, an IMAX projector simply displays the entire standard frame with unused screen space—commonly seen as black bars or letterboxing—above and below the image.

Inside the "LieMAX" Multiplex Hardware Divide

While the viral math is inverted, the underlying frustration among ticket buyers reflects a real hardware divide inside commercial theaters. Two auditoriums carrying the same blue IMAX logo and charging premium ticket prices can deliver vastly different visual experiences, a discrepancy that inspired the fan-coined nickname "LieMAX" in 2009 after the company began retrofitting smaller multiplex auditoriums starting in 2008, according to Engadget.

At the top of the exhibition hierarchy is 15/70mm IMAX film, where film strips measuring 69.8 by 48.5 millimeters run horizontally through the projector using 15 sprocket holes per frame. According to a format breakdown by Engadget, this analog system projects onto screens up to 59 by 79 feet (with select flagship venues like AMC Lincoln Square in New York reaching 101 by 76 feet), generating an estimated 18K equivalent resolution illuminated by 15-kilowatt water-cooled xenon bulbs that are up to 7.5 times brighter than standard theater lamps. However, the format is expensive: each 70mm IMAX print of The Odyssey reportedly cost around $80,000 to strike.

The only digital system capable of matching that full 1.43:1 screen height is IMAX GT (Grand Theatre) Laser, which uses dual 4K laser projectors. Below those flagship setups are the systems that make up the vast majority of multiplex locations: single-projector 4K laser units known as Commercial Laser (CoLa) and Laser XT, alongside older dual-projector 2K Digital Xenon systems. All three of those multiplex systems max out at a 1.90:1 aspect ratio.

How Rare Are True 1.43:1 Screens in the US?

Finding a theater capable of projecting the full 1.43:1 frame requires tracking down a tiny fraction of the global exhibition footprint. Exact venue counts vary across industry reports depending on whether seasonal or museum installations are active during a major blockbuster rollout.

According to the community-sourced US venue directory IMAX Map (updated October 20, 2026), out of 414 tracked domestic locations, only 19 theaters are equipped for 1.43:1 IMAX 70mm film and 20 venues operate 1.43:1 GT Laser systems. The remaining 375 US locations are restricted to 1.90:1 presentations, split between 219 IMAX with Laser auditoriums and 156 older Digital Xenon screens.

Other industry analyses report slightly different snapshots. Engadget notes there are roughly 24 IMAX 70mm film theaters in the United States, nine in Canada, and six in other countries, alongside roughly 12 GT Laser 1.43:1 venues in North America. Meanwhile, camera equipment house DFI Rentals estimates that out of 1,829 IMAX systems across 89 countries, roughly 41 to 45 worldwide—and about 30 in the US—can run 15/70mm film, leaving roughly 1,780 digital screens globally.

Director Intent and What It Means for Moviegoers

Does watching a film in a 1.90:1 multiplex auditorium violate the director's intended vision? Not necessarily. Most feature films released in IMAX—even major blockbusters—are mastered solely for 1.90:1 or standard 2.39:1 widescreen, meaning a 1.43:1 theater will not reveal extra vertical image that was never captured.

Even when directors shoot with 15/70mm film or 1.43:1 digital cameras, cinematographers use a technique known as "protecting" the frame. Essential narrative action and character framing are kept inside the central 2.39:1 and 1.90:1 zones so the story plays seamlessly in standard theaters, while the upper and lower bands of the 1.43:1 frame add vertical scale and peripheral immersion.

What does "standard movie frames" mean compared to IMAX frames?

Standard theatrical releases are typically framed in 2.39:1 (anamorphic scope) or 1.85:1 (flat widescreen). IMAX expanded presentations use taller ratios of 1.90:1 for digital multiplexes or 1.43:1 for flagship 70mm film and dual-laser venues. Standard frames are never cropped by IMAX projectors; rather, expanded 1.43:1 frames are vertically reduced when shown on 1.90:1 or 2.39:1 screens.

Does the 40 percent figure measure screen height or total image area?

At equal screen width, reducing a 1.43:1 source frame to a 2.39:1 widescreen frame removes 40.2 percent of the total image area (and vertical height). Reducing a 1.43:1 frame to a 1.90:1 digital IMAX frame removes 24.7 percent of the full-height area.

Are black bars on an IMAX screen a sign of cropping?

No. Black bars (letterboxing) at the top and bottom of an IMAX screen occur when the projected movie has a wider aspect ratio—such as 2.39:1 or 1.90:1—than the physical screen wall. The unused screen space ensures the entire width of the filmmaker's composition is shown without cutting off the sides.

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