Nolan Unveils Details on Odyssey Adaptation

Christopher Nolan has unveiled new details about his ambitious adaptation of Homer's ancient epic "The Odyssey," describing the production as a primal endeavor to revive large-scale mythological filmmaking. In an interview with Empire magazine, the director revealed that the film was shot over 91 days using more than two million feet of film, with much of the action captured at sea to immerse the cast in authentic conditions. The movie, starring Matt Damon as the hero Odysseus, is slated for release on July 17, 2026, in IMAX theaters worldwide.

The project marks Nolan's most expensive venture to date, with a reported budget of $250 million. It follows his 2023 release "Oppenheimer," which earned critical acclaim and multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. For "The Odyssey," Nolan sought to address what he saw as a void in contemporary cinema. "As a filmmaker, you're looking for gaps in cinematic culture, things that haven't been done before," he told Empire. "And what I saw is that all of this great mythological cinematic work that I had grown up with—Ray Harryhausen movies and other things—I'd never seen that done with the sort of weight and...