Christopher Nolan is once again turning the act of watching a trailer into a cinematic event. As anticipation builds for his next feature, The Odyssey, the filmmaker has unveiled a carefully structured theatrical rollout that reinforces his long-standing belief that cinema should first be experienced on the biggest possible screen, in the most uncompromising format available.
Beginning Dec. 12, audiences attending IMAX 70mm re-releases of Sinners and One Battle After Another will be treated to a nearly six-minute prologue from The Odyssey. This is not a fleeting teaser or a montage-heavy preview designed for quick consumption, but an extended narrative introduction intended to immerse viewers in the world of the film well ahead of its arrival in theaters. The following weekend, starting Dec. 19, a shorter but still full-length theatrical trailer will begin playing before all showings of Avatar: Fire and Ash. While the trailer expands the film’s reach, the longer prologue remains exclusive to IMAX presentations and will continue running before IMAX screenings of Avatar 3, underscoring Nolan’s preference for curated, format-driven discovery.
The decision to debut the extended footage on IMAX 70mm screens is rooted in both philosophy and precedent. The Odyssey is the first feature film to be shot entirely using IMAX’s 70mm film cameras, a milestone that reflects Nolan’s unwavering commitment to large-format visual storytelling. His previous film Oppenheimer demonstrated just how powerful that approach can be, with IMAX accounting for roughly 20% of the film’s total box office gross worldwide. For many viewers, seeing Oppenheimer in 70mm IMAX became an event in itself, prompting cinephiles to cross state lines and endure weeks-long sellouts. Nolan is clearly betting that a similar appetite exists for The Odyssey, and the early theatrical footage is designed to nurture that sense of occasion.
This December rollout is not the first glimpse audiences have had of the film. A tightly held, minute-long teaser was quietly shown over the summer ahead of Jurassic World Rebirth and Superman, planting the seeds of excitement nearly a year before the film’s release. Rather than flooding the market with repeated online drops, Nolan has opted for a slow-burn strategy, treating each reveal as a chapter in a longer conversation with the audience.
Written and directed by Nolan, The Odyssey is an epic action fantasy adapted from Homer’s ancient Greek poem of the same name. The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the legendary king of Ithaca, whose long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War forms one of the most enduring narratives in Western literature. Nolan has described Odysseus as a deeply complex figure—brilliant, cunning, and endlessly resourceful—and those qualities appear central to his interpretation of the myth. The story chronicles Odysseus’ encounters with mythical forces such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe, all while he struggles to reunite with his wife, Penelope, after years of separation.
The ensemble cast reflects the scale and ambition of the project. Tom Holland portrays Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, whose own journey is defined by the search for his missing father. Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, the emotional anchor of the story, while Zendaya takes on the role of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and Odysseus’ divine protector. Robert Pattinson appears as Antinous, one of Penelope’s suitors, with Charlize Theron cast as Circe. Lupita Nyong’o and Jon Bernthal are also part of the expansive ensemble, adding further weight to what is shaping up to be one of Nolan’s most ambitious casts.
Behind the scenes, the film’s scale is equally striking. Nolan began writing The Odyssey in March 2024 and secured the project with Universal Pictures by October, with the official announcement following in December. Casting unfolded throughout late 2024, and Damon was confirmed for the lead role in February 2025. Principal photography ran from February to August 2025 and spanned a remarkable range of international locations, including Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, and Western Sahara. With an estimated budget of $250 million, The Odyssey is the most expensive film of Nolan’s career, a distinction that aligns with its technical and logistical ambition.
Scheduled for a theatrical release in the United States on July 17, 2026, The Odyssey is shaping up to be more than just another high-profile adaptation. Through its exhibition strategy alone, Nolan is making a clear statement about the value of theatrical cinema in an era dominated by digital-first marketing and fleeting attention spans. By allowing audiences to experience the film’s world months in advance—exclusively in theaters and in IMAX—he is reviving a sense of anticipation that feels increasingly rare.
Long before Odysseus reaches Ithaca on screen, Nolan is ensuring that the journey toward The Odyssey begins where he believes it always should: in a darkened theater, surrounded by towering images and shared silence, months before the opening credits finally roll.
