3 min readNew DelhiApr 16, 2026 11:12 AM IST
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan unveiled new footage from one of the most anticipated films of the year, The Odyssey, at CinemaCon, offering a glimpse into his ambitious adaptation of Homer’s timeless epic.
The director received a standing ovation as he took the stage, playfully noting he was relieved not to be following Steven Spielberg during Universal’s presentation. But Nolan quickly shifted focus to the scale and significance of his latest project.
“Why ‘The Odyssey?’ ‘The Odyssey’ is a story that has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years. It’s not a story. It’s the story,” he was quoted as saying by Variety.
What does the footage show?
At the heart of the film is Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, whose long and dangerous journey home unfolds after the Trojan War.
According to Variety, the footage shown at CinemaCon opened on a striking note, with Odysseus stranded and disoriented.
“Did I have a wife? Children? Maybe a son? If I had a son, how old would he be now?” he asks, speaking to Calypso, played by Charlize Theron.
The preview then moved through some of the epic’s most iconic moments, including the Trojan Horse sequence, where Greek soldiers hide inside a massive wooden structure to infiltrate the city of Troy. The tension builds as the Trojans inspect the horse, unaware of the danger within.
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The story follows Odysseus’ decade-long struggle to return home to his wife Penelope (played by Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland), while facing trials shaped by gods, monsters and fate.
A cast too big for one stage
The film boasts an ensemble that includes Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and more. Nolan even joked about the sheer scale of talent involved.
“It’ll be quicker for me to tell you who isn’t in the movie… I would have brought them all here, but the massive weight of extraordinary talent would have collapsed the stage,” he joked.
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A physically demanding shoot
Shot across multiple countries including Morocco, Greece, Italy, Iceland and Scotland, the production pushed its cast and crew to the limit.
“This has been an absolute nightmare to film — but in all the right ways,” Nolan said, praising Damon as his “partner on this journey.”
“He was there on the boats, up the mountains, in the caves, in the beating sunshine, sideways rain, wind,” Nolan added.
Nolan’s IMAX ambition realised
The film also marks a major technical milestone. The Odyssey is the first movie shot entirely with IMAX cameras.
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“As a boy, all I wanted to do was tell large-scale stories using that technology, putting the audience into the world,” he said.
The official trailer of the film was released on December 22, 2025. The Odyssey is set for a July 17 theatrical release.
