Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey opens July 17, with preview screenings July 16. The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, with Zendaya as the goddess Athena, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and Lupita Nyong’o splitting Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. The cast is massive and the production was shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film.

Nolan rewrote parts of the ancient Greek epic for the screen, condensing the 10-year journey home into a three-hour film. The story keeps the core: a soldier trying to get back to his wife after a brutal war. Everything else gets retold through Nolan’s lens—time becomes unstable, the gods meddle in human affairs, and reality bends in ways that feel both mythic and grounded.

Shot Entirely on IMAX 70mm

This is the first film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm in Nolan’s career. The format captures the scale of ancient Greece better than digital cameras can. Vast landscapes, sea battles, and divine encounters fill the frame. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema worked with Nolan to ensure every shot deserved the size.

IMAX theaters worldwide will show this in its intended format. Regular theaters get 35mm prints. The difference is noticeable—color depth, shadow detail, and motion become more vivid on the massive screen.

The Story Nolan Wants to Tell

Nolan has said The Odyssey is about suffering and sacrifice. Odysseus doesn’t want glory or fame. He wants to go home. The film strips away the mythology most modern audiences expect and treats the Odyssey as a human story about loss, longing, and the cost of survival.

The gods in this version aren’t all-powerful. They want things too. Athena tries to protect Odysseus but can’t control fate. Zeus remains distant and cold. Poseidon is genuinely angry. The mythology feels personal instead of distant.

What to Expect at the Box Office

This is a three-hour Nolan film in July. It’s not a superhero story. No franchise tie-ins. Just pure cinema. Early reactions from test screenings have been strong, though not universally glowing. Some found it slow. Others called it mesmerizing. The film opens in a competitive summer—Moana and other major releases already took box office share.

The Odyssey releases July 17 in IMAX and standard formats. This is Nolan betting that audiences still want epic storytelling over superhero mechanics.