On Wednesday, one of, if not the top, the most anticipated films of the year made its debut at CinemaCon, as Christopher Nolan unveiled new footage from The Odyssey during Universal's presentation. Following a compilation video of his past work, the filmmaker took the stage to a standing ovation, jokingly expressing his relief at not following in the footsteps of Steven Spielberg. He mused, "Why The Odyssey? It's a story that has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years; it's not just a story, but the story itself. I wanted to seize the thrilling opportunity to bring it to a modern cinema audience."
Nolan spoke about realizing his dream of capturing the entire film in Imax and joked about the star-studded cast, saying it would be quicker for him to tell who wasn't in The Odyssey than who was. He decided to appear solo because the weight of their talents would have overwhelmed the stage. He specifically highlighted his "partner" Matt Damon, admitting that "this film has been an absolute nightmare to film" and that he's sure the leading man would agree.
Nolan revealed that he was almost finished with the cut before showing some footage. The footage began with Damon's Odysseus asking Calypso (played by Charlize Theron), "How long have I been here, Calypso? I don't remember anything before Troy. Did I have a wife, children, a son? If I had a son, how old would he be now?" as clips of a younger Odysseus with his son (Tom Holland) and wife (Anne Hathaway) flashed on screen.
The footage then cut to one of The Odyssey's most iconic stories, when the Greeks hid inside a wooden horse during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war. We first see the Trojan Horse in the sea, with the men inside fighting for their lives not to drown. They are pulled into the city, where they wait until night to come out and launch their attack, led by Damon and Jon Bernthal, as the men go running through the city.
The Odyssey is an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic, with Damon playing the Greek king of Ithaca on a long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War as he attempts to reunite with his wife Penelope. The 10-year journey is filled with interruptions and influence from the gods (not to mention a few cyclops), as back home Penelope and Odysseus's son Telemachus must contend with aggressive suitors who have designs on the throne.
The star-studded cast also features Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Benny Safdie, Mia Goth, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Ryan Hurst, and Travis Scott. The Odyssey is set for a July 17 theatrical release and serves as Nolan's follow-up to his blockbuster best picture winner Oppenheimer.
Buzz around the film has been high for months - with tickets to see it in Imax 70mm on opening day sold out a year in advance - and has been fueled by the cast; Holland recently called it "an absolute masterpiece" and said he was taking himself out of that equation. He continued, "It's unlike anything that I've ever seen before. I think when I saw the movie, I found myself asking a question that I haven't asked about a movie for a long time: 'How did you do that?'"
