Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated epic The Odyssey will begin its theatrical journey this weekend with the release of a nearly six-minute prologue ahead of select IMAX 70mm screenings. Audiences will be treated to this exclusive footage on December 12, 2025, attached to screenings of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Zhang Yimou’s One Battle After Another, both of which are returning to theaters for special IMAX 70mm re-releases. The following week, a shorter but still full-length version of The Odyssey trailer will debut before Avatar: Fire and Ash showings starting December 19, 2025.
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Why IMAX 70mm Matters for The Odyssey
The extended prologue is debuting on IMAX 70mm screens for significant reasons beyond Christopher Nolan’s well-documented preference for the format. The Odyssey represents a groundbreaking achievement in cinematic history as the first movie shot entirely with IMAX cameras. The production utilized brand-new, state-of-the-art lighter and quieter IMAX film cameras developed specifically for this project, alongside existing IMAX technology. Over two million feet, approximately 610 kilometers, of IMAX 70mm film was used to capture the epic tale.
This exclusive prologue release strategy continues Nolan’s tradition of previewing major sequences from his films during December theater screenings. The director employed similar marketing tactics for The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Dunkirk, and Tenet, where five to six-minute opening sequences debuted months before the films’ official releases. The approach has proven remarkably effective at building anticipation and demonstrating the immersive power of IMAX 70mm projection.
Record-Breaking Advance Ticket Sales
The demand for The Odyssey’s IMAX 70mm experience has reached unprecedented levels. In a first for cinema history, Universal Pictures put tickets on sale for select IMAX 70mm screenings in summer 2025, a full year before the film’s July 17, 2026 release date. Over 25,000 tickets sold across 22 locations, with most showings completely selling out well over a year in advance. Iconic venues including AMC Lincoln Square 13 in New York, TCL Chinese Theatres in Los Angeles, and BFI IMAX in London were marked as sold out within days of tickets becoming available.
Jim Orr, Universal Pictures’ president of domestic theatrical distribution, expressed confidence in the film’s theatrical potential during CinemaCon 2025 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, stating that the studio knows this film will be a once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would be very proud of. The studio’s confidence is well-founded, considering Christopher Nolan’s previous blockbuster Oppenheimer earned more than $190 million of its total gross specifically on IMAX screens, representing approximately 20 percent of overall box office receipts. Some movie lovers even crossed state lines to see Oppenheimer in 70mm IMAX, selling out those particularly large auditoriums for weeks.
What the Prologue Reveals
According to Empire Magazine’s recent cover story on The Odyssey, which provided a detailed description of footage shown in Christopher Nolan’s screening room, the prologue promises to be an extraordinary mini rollercoaster ride that establishes the film’s massive scale. The sequence begins with a question: “You hear the story of the horse?” This immediately launches into a thundering action set-piece that flashes back to the walls of Troy.
The visuals are described as visceral, with audio providing an adrenaline rush as Odysseus’ hulking ruse, the legendary Trojan Horse, is dragged via ropes and straining sinews up a beach toward the city of Troy. The sequence then transitions to nighttime, depicting Odysseus’ desperate battle to open the gates of Troy and finally end the decade-long war. Empire Magazine characterized it as briskly knocking out one of history’s most iconic military triumphs as an hors d’oeuvre before the entrée, serving as a mission statement that if audiences thought Christopher Nolan’s films were colossal before, they should just wait.
The prologue concludes by setting the film apart from previous Troy adaptations with a quick single shot of a fearsome Cyclops, signaling that The Odyssey will venture far beyond historical warfare into the realm of Greek mythology. This ending perfectly encapsulates the dual nature of Homer’s epic, combining historical events with fantastical encounters.
The Cast and Production Scale
The Odyssey features one of the most star-studded ensemble casts in recent cinema history. Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, the legendary king of Ithaca whose long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War forms the narrative backbone. The actor has called the production the best experience of his career, describing his reaction upon seeing the actual Trojan Horse prop on the beach with genuine awe. Tom Holland portrays Odysseus’ son Telemachus, while Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, Odysseus’ faithful wife awaiting his return in Ithaca.
The supporting cast reads like a who’s who of contemporary cinema: Zendaya as Athena, the goddess of wisdom who serves as Odysseus’ divine protector; Robert Pattinson as Antinous, one of the suitors pursuing Penelope; Charlize Theron as the witch-goddess Circe; Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal as Agamemnon, Benny Safdie, Mia Goth as Melantho, and Elliot Page round out the ensemble. John Leguizamo appears in heavy makeup as Eumaeus, the loyal swineherd who aids Odysseus upon his return to Ithaca.
Principal photography lasted 91 days from February 25 to August 8, 2025, wrapping nine days ahead of schedule under the working title Charlie’s Tale. The production spanned multiple international locations including Morocco (where the Trojan War sequences were filmed at Aït Benhaddou village in Ouarzazate, as well as Essaouira and Marrakesh), Greece (Methoni Castle and Nestor’s Cave for Cyclops scenes), Italy (including Favignana island in Sicily, the original “goat island” from Homer’s poem), Scotland, Iceland, Malta, and Western Sahara. Christopher Nolan spent four months shooting on the open ocean with the cast members playing Odysseus’ ship crew, capturing the real waves and conditions to authentically portray how difficult those ancient journeys would have been.
Expanding IMAX 70mm Accessibility
The success of The Odyssey’s advance sales has prompted significant infrastructure expansion. Currently, only approximately 30 movie theaters worldwide are equipped to offer IMAX 70mm film projection. Under a new agreement announced in October 2025, Cinemark is building three new 70mm film projection systems at locations in the Woodridge suburb of Chicago (Cinemark Seven Bridges), Colorado Springs (Cinemark Carefree Circle), and Rochester (Cinemark Tinseltown). These locations are specifically being made operational before The Odyssey’s July 2026 release.
Additionally, Cinemark will install four new IMAX with Laser systems and upgrade its remaining 12 IMAX screens to IMAX with Laser, a 4K laser projection system designed to deliver the clearest images and best audio through proprietary technology. Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, noted that Cinemark expanding its commitment to both IMAX with Laser and IMAX 70mm film underscores the value being delivered for exhibition partners, with a tremendous slate ahead in 2026 highlighted by multiple films shot for IMAX.
Christopher Nolan’s Vision for the Epic
Speaking to Empire Magazine, Christopher Nolan explained his motivation for adapting Homer’s foundational saga. He noted there’s a bit of everything in the story, emphasizing that it truly contains all stories. As a filmmaker, Nolan said he looks for gaps in cinematic culture, things that haven’t been done before. What he identified is that all the great mythological cinematic work he grew up with, including Ray Harryhausen movies, had never been done with the weight and credibility that an A-budget Hollywood IMAX production could provide.
The director emphasized the authenticity of the production, particularly the ocean sequences. Nolan spent the last four months on the water, getting the cast playing Odysseus’ ship crew out on real waves in real places. He described the ocean as vast and terrifying and wonderful and benevolent as conditions shift, noting the production really wanted to capture how hard those journeys would have been for ancient people and the leap of faith being made in an unmapped, uncharted world.
Matt Damon echoed his director’s enthusiasm, telling Empire that without hyperbole, working on The Odyssey was the best experience of his career. He described the film as exactly what audiences want from a summer movie, predicting it should be the most massively entertaining film and should feel mythic. Damon noted that Christopher Nolan doesn’t hide the ball in his screenplays, meaning if it says Odysseus is running for his life from a Cyclops, the actor will actually be running for his life during production.
The Road to July 2026
With an estimated budget of $250 million, The Odyssey represents the most expensive production of Christopher Nolan’s career. Post-production is expected to continue through June 2026, just weeks before the scheduled July 17, 2026 theatrical release. Universal Pictures’ official logline describes the film as a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology that brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time.
The December 12 prologue release and December 19 trailer debut represent the beginning of an extensive marketing campaign designed to position The Odyssey as 2026’s premier cinematic event. Following the director’s Oscar-winning success with Oppenheimer, which grossed nearly one billion dollars worldwide and won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, expectations for The Odyssey have reached stratospheric heights.
Audiences attending IMAX 70mm screenings of Sinners and One Battle After Another this weekend will be the first to experience Christopher Nolan’s vision of ancient Greece’s most famous hero, with the nearly six-minute prologue serving as their exclusive preview of what promises to be one of the most ambitious filmmaking achievements in cinema history.
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FAQs
When will The Odyssey prologue be shown in theaters?
The nearly six-minute prologue of The Odyssey will debut on December 12, 2025, exclusively at IMAX 70mm screenings of Sinners and One Battle After Another. A shorter trailer version will play before Avatar: Fire and Ash starting December 19, 2025.
Why is The Odyssey being shown in IMAX 70mm?
The Odyssey is the first movie in history shot entirely with IMAX cameras, using over two million feet of IMAX 70mm film. Christopher Nolan has long championed the format for its superior image quality and immersive experience, making IMAX 70mm the definitive way to experience his films.
What will be shown in The Odyssey prologue?
The six-minute prologue features the Trojan Horse being dragged up a beach toward Troy, followed by Odysseus’ nighttime battle to open the city gates. The sequence ends with a shot of a Cyclops, signaling the film’s mythological elements beyond historical warfare.
When does The Odyssey release in theaters?
The Odyssey is scheduled for theatrical release on July 17, 2026, through Universal Pictures. The film will be available in IMAX, IMAX 70mm film formats, and premium large formats worldwide.
Who stars in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey?
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, with Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Zendaya as Athena, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Charlize Theron as Circe, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Mia Goth, and Elliot Page comprising the ensemble cast.
