If hype could power a movie, The Odyssey would already be a blockbuster.
At CinemaCon, Christopher Nolan finally pulled back the curtain – and the room was all in. After a standing ovation (and a quick joke about not wanting to follow Steven Speilberg), Nolan got straight to the point: Why The Odyssey? It’s a story that has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years; it’s not a story, but the story.”
Translation: he’s aiming big. Very big.
Shot entirely for Imax, the film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus—and according to Nolan, “this film has been an absolute nightmare to film.” (Comforting!)
The footage opens with Damon’s weary hero asking Charlize Theron’s Calypso, “How long have I been here, Calypso? I don’t remember anything before Troy…” before flashing glimpses of his lost family, played by Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway.
Then comes the moment: the Trojan Horse. Not just shown – felt. Soldiers trapped inside, fighting not to drown, then unleashing chaos once inside the city. It’s gritty, intense, and very Nolan.
The cast? Stacked to the point Nolan joked “it would be quicker for me to tell you who isn’t in The Odyssey.” Think Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and more.
Early buzz is already wild. Holland even called it “an absolute masterpiece… ‘How did you do that?’”
With a July 17 release and IMAX screening selling out absurdly early, one thing’s clear: Nolan did not just make a movie – he made an event.
