by Alex Billington
June 2, 2026
Source: YouTube
“This is definitely the biggest movie I’ve ever done in my career in terms of its scale. Definitely the biggest movie I’ve ever done in terms of its ambition.” Here we go! We’re into the final countdown – 1 & 1/2 months left until this epic movie is upon us. Universal released a quick behind-the-scenes featurette for Christopher Nolan’s adventure The Odyssey, landing in theaters July. Nolan’s take on Homer’s iconic ancient Greek poem, The Odyssey is a mythic action thriller shot across the world – the entire film is shot on IMAX film cameras (the first ever) bringing this foundational saga to life grander than ever. The story follows Odysseus in his perilous, long journey home after the Trojan War, encountering Polyphemus, the Sirens, Circe, and eventually with his reunion with his wife, Penelope, on the island Ithaca. The movie stars Matt Damon as our hero Odysseus. With a huge ensemble cast including Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Charlize Theron as Circe, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez, Mia Goth, Cosmo Jarvis, and even Corey Hawkins. This promo features the cast & crew talking about how huge these sets were and how grand this story will be told on screen this way. I cannot wait to watch it soon! Especially in full-on IMAX this summer.
Here’s the “On The Set” featurette for Christopher Nolan’s massive movie The Odyssey, from YouTube:
“In total, The Odyssey shot for 91 days in 2025, in six countries: Morocco, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Scotland, and at the Falls Lake water tank on the Universal lot, in the United States. Nolan shot over 2 million feet of IMAX film. There is nothing else that currently exists in filmmaking like a Nolan production. Even Tom Holland, who has been playing Spider-Man through a decade’s worth of giant Marvel productions, was confused and disoriented when he first arrived on The Odyssey’s set in Morocco. ‘I remember walking down this beach for half an hour, and I’m just seeing Greek soldier, Greek soldier, Greek boat, Greek soldier, the Trojan wars, Greek boat, Greek soldier for… I don’t know if I’m exaggerating, but it felt like miles,’ Holland told me. ‘And I’m saying to the PA: ‘Where is the crew? I haven’t seen any evidence of a film set. This is more reminiscent of a reenactment than it is a film set.'” –GQ on The Odyssey
You can view the stunning first trailer for Nolan’s The Odyssey movie right here + the second trailer here.
The Odyssey follows Odysseus (Matt Damon), the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, on his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. Depicting encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in his long-awaited reunion with his wife, Penelope. The Odyssey is directed by the acclaimed, Oscar-winning British filmmaker Christopher Nolan, director of the movies Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer previously. The screenplay is also by Christopher Nolan, adapted from the iconic ancient Greek epic poem Odyssey attributed to Homer. With cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema, and music composed by Ludwig Göransson. It’s produced by Emma Thomas & Christopher Nolan through their own company Syncopy. Universal Pictures will release Nolan’s The Odyssey in theaters worldwide starting on July 17th, 2026 this summer. Who’s ready to watch now?
