- Christopher Nolan felt despair after his work on Oppenheimer.
- To escape that despair, Nolan made The Odyssey, which is the first movie shot entirely using IMAX's 70 mm cameras.
- First reactions to The Odyssey have been overwhelmingly positive, with Next Best Picture Editor-In-Chief calling it 'as epic as movies get' and a 'colossal achievement of scale.'
- IndieWire Editor at Large Anne Thompson stated that 'high expectations were met' and declared the film 'the movie to beat' for best picture at the 2027 Oscars.
- Los Angeles Times film editor Joshua Rothkopf described it as 'staggering' and 'pure cinema,' marking a return to robustly entertaining action movies.
- Nolan's work on The Dark Knight trilogy helped him balance relatable, larger-than-life characters in The Odyssey.
- For the monsters like Cyclops and Scylla, Nolan looked to 'Jaws' and 'Alien' to create creatures with an inner life.
- The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside a cast including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Charlize Theron.
Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' marks a significant evolution in his filmmaking journey, emerging from the emotional turmoil he experienced after 'Oppenheimer.'1236
“Coming out of ‘Oppenheimer,’ I had a funny combination of despair and optimism,” Nolan reflected, revealing the film's genesis in his struggle with the heavy themes of nuclear war.
The film is notable for being the first major studio movie filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, a technical feat that adds to its epic scale. Critics have praised it as 'staggering' and 'pure cinema', with the Los Angeles Times highlighting its return to the entertaining action narratives that define cinema.
IndieWire's Anne Thompson noted that the film is 'stunningly mounted' and a strong contender for the 2027 Oscars, while Variety's Jazz Tangcay called it an 'astonishing achievement' with standout performances from its ensemble cast, including Tom Holland and Zendaya.
Nolan's approach to storytelling continues to evolve, as he draws inspiration from his previous works, including the 'Dark Knight' trilogy. He stated, “On the surface, I didn't think there'd be much of a relationship, but what I learned doing the Dark Knight films really helped with this.”
As 'The Odyssey' prepares for its release, it is projected to achieve the biggest opening weekend of Nolan's career, solidifying his status as a master of modern cinema.
“The Odyssey is the first movie shot entirely using IMAX's 70 mm cameras. IndieWire's Anne Thompson declares it the movie to beat at the 2027 Oscars, predicting Matt Damon could win best actor and sparking best picture buzz.”
