Universal Pictures transformed London’s Leicester Square into an ancient mythical battleground for the world premiere of Christopher Nolan’s epic film The Odyssey. A towering 8,800-pound Trojan horse dominated the entrance to the cinema, drawing thousands of fans who gathered for the event, according to Variety.
The giant four-tonne wooden installation became the centrepiece of the premiere. Universal Pictures created the structure specially to mark the launch of the $250 million production, reflecting the enormous anticipation surrounding Nolan’s latest film.
Before the first public screening, Nolan addressed the audience with a personal introduction. He recalled visiting Leicester Square as a child and dreaming that one day one of his own films would appear on its giant screen. He thanked his cast and crew for bringing the project to life and shared a few light-hearted moments with those in attendance.
The Odyssey is the first feature film to use the newly developed IMAX 70mm cameras for every scene. The production exposed more than two million feet of film during shooting. Nolan chose to adapt Homer’s classic epic because, in his view, Hollywood had never produced a large-scale version that fully captured its original mythological grandeur.
The filmmaker takes a grounded approach to the story, replacing supernatural interventions with natural phenomena and human perception. The film follows the Greek king Odysseus on his perilous 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the fall of Troy.
The star-studded cast attended the premiere, with Matt Damon leading the film as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Samantha Morton also appear in the film.
The Odyssey is set for worldwide release on 17 July.
