Christopher Nolan returned to CinemaCon in Las Vegas with new footage from ‘The Odyssey’, offering exhibitors an intense preview of the filmmaker’s upcoming historical epic.
The film, based on Homer’s ancient Greek poem, stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and follows his long and dangerous journey home after the Trojan War.
Nolan received a standing ovation as he took the stage, joking about following Steven Spielberg in the schedule and lightening the mood before presenting the project.
Footage shown to attendees included a dramatic sequence centred on the Trojan Horse attack, with Greek soldiers hiding inside a giant wooden structure as it is brought into the city of Troy. The scene builds tension as Trojans inspect the horse, even striking it with swords while searching for intruders.
Additional clips featured Odysseus, stranded and disoriented, speaking with Calypso, played by Charlize Theron, as he struggles to recall his past. Other moments showed stormy sea battles, night-time combat and a brief confrontation with the Cyclops Polyphemus.
The ensemble cast includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo and Himesh Patel.
Nolan described the production as extremely demanding, with filming taking place across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Iceland and Scotland. He called the shoot “an absolute nightmare in all the right ways” and praised Damon’s performance, noting the physical demands of the role.
He also highlighted the film’s technical achievement, confirming The Odyssey is the first feature to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras, fulfilling a long-held ambition.
Nolan said the story, rooted in a 3,000-year-old epic, remains timeless, adding that it is “not a story, but the story.”
