The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan's IMAX epic of Homer's Odyssey
After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a perilous voyage home to Ithaca, confronting the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, Calypso, and the gods themselves along the way.
Director
Christopher Nolan
Studio
Universal Pictures / Syncopy
Release
July 17, 2026
Runtime
172 min
Genres
Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Budget
$250 million (reported)
Box office
$639.6 million worldwide (as of 2026-07-28, per TMDb)
Cast & Characters
Odysseus
Matt Damon
↔ Penelope, Telemachus, Athena
Penelope
Anne Hathaway
↔ Odysseus, Telemachus, Antinous
Telemachus
Tom Holland
↔ Odysseus, Penelope
Antinous
Robert Pattinson
↔ Penelope
Athena
Zendaya
↔ Odysseus
Calypso
Charlize Theron
↔ Odysseus
Helen / Clytemnestra
Lupita Nyong'o
Eumaeus
John Leguizamo
Did You Know?
The Odyssey is the first Christopher Nolan film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film cameras.
Source: Britannica · verified 2026-07-28
At a reported $250 million budget, it's believed to be the most expensive production of Nolan's career.
Source: Britannica · verified 2026-07-28
The film opened with the biggest live-action opening weekend of 2026, grossing $87 million in its second weekend alone.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes (box office editorial) · verified 2026-07-28
Critical Assessment
The Odyssey has become Christopher Nolan's best-reviewed film to date: it holds an 8.3/10 on IMDb, a 95% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes (Nolan's highest ever, surpassing The Dark Knight and Memento) with a rare 97% audience score, and a Metacritic score of 89/100 — a near-universal-acclaim tier across all three aggregators.
“The Odyssey is Nolan's crowning achievement.” — Mike Ryan, The Hard Pass “A genuine masterclass in filmmaking that's awe-inducing, breathtaking and impeccably composed.” — Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction “An awe-inspiring, epic filmmaking achievement.” — Rendy Jones, Rendy Reviews
Unlike most blockbusters where audience and critic scores diverge, The Odyssey's 97% audience score actually edges out its already-record 95% critic score — an unusually tight consensus that suggests the film's scale and faithfulness to Homer's source material landed with both camps rather than splitting them.
Ratings as of 2026-07-28
AI Verdict
AI-generatedCross-referencing the numbers: a near-record spread across IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic this tight is rare for a $250M tentpole — it typically signals a film that succeeds as both spectacle and craft, not just one or the other. Worth seeing in IMAX if you can.