Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' launches with global IMAX rollout and $200M box‑office projection

Christopher Nolan’s myth‑scale adaptation of Homer’s *The Odyssey* opens worldwide in mid‑July 2026. The three‑hour, R‑rated epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and others. Filming took place in six countries – Morocco, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Scotland and the United States – using more than 600 km of 70 mm IMAX film. A new sound‑proof camera housing, developed by IMAX engineers, allowed dialogue‑driven scenes to be captured in the format for the first time.

Only about 40 theatres worldwide can project the film in its intended 15‑perforation 70 mm IMAX version; elsewhere audiences see a reduced aspect‑ratio laser or digital copy. The scarcity has already created a resale market where tickets for those premium screenings fetch up to $1,000. Box‑office forecasts expect an opening of $85‑100 million in the U.S. and $110 million overseas, with a global total projected above $200 million.

Ahead of release, Nolan has publicly disputed Matt Damon’s comments that large‑scale epics are a dwindling genre, asserting that cinema remains vital and that younger filmmakers are reinvigorating the medium. The film has also drawn criticism over casting choices and its modernized depiction of ancient myths, but early reviews praise the visual spectacle, the IMAX immersion and the re‑framing of Homer’s themes of homecoming and responsibility.