One of the year’s most anticipated films — if not the first — arrived at CinemaCon on Wednesday, where Christopher Nolan showed off some new footage from Odyssey While Universal.
After putting together a video of his previous work, the director took the stage to a standing ovation and joked that he was glad he didn’t follow Steven Spielberg. He said thinking: Why? Odyssey? It is a story that has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years; It’s not a story, however the story. I wanted to take this exciting opportunity to introduce it to modern cinema audiences.
Nolan spoke about fulfilling his dream of shooting the entire film on IMAX and joked of the star-studded cast, saying, “It would be quicker for me to tell you who’s not in that dream.” OdysseyWho is he? He said he decided to appear solo because the weight of their talent would come crashing down on stage. He specifically highlighted his “partner” Matt Damon, admitting that “this movie was an absolute nightmare to shoot” and he’s sure his leading man would agree.
Nolan revealed that he was almost finished cutting before he started some takes, which began with Odysseus, played by Damon Calypso (played by Charlize Theron), asking: “How long have you 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?” Clips of a younger Odysseus with his son (Tom Holland) and wife (Anne Hathaway) are also flashed.
The footage is then cut into one of OdysseyOne of the most famous stories is 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 Trojans at sea, and the men inside fighting for their lives. They are pulled into the city, where they wait until nightfall to emerge and launch their attack, led by Damon and Jon Bernthal, while the men run through the city.
Odyssey An adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic, Damon plays the Greek king of Ithaca on a long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War while trying to reunite with his wife Penelope. The 10-year journey is filled with interruptions and the influence of the gods (not to mention a few Cyclops), as Penelope and Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, back home must contend with aggressive suitors with designs on the throne.
The star-studded cast also includes Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Benny Safdie, Mia Goth, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Ryan Hurst, and Travis Scott. Odyssey Set for a theatrical release on July 17, it serves as Nolan’s follow-up to his Best Picture-winning film. Oppenheimer.
Buzz around the film has been high for months — tickets to see it in Imax 70mm sold out on opening day a year ago — and it’s been fueled by the cast; Holland recently described it as “an absolute masterpiece, and I’m taking myself out of that equation.” He continued: “It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. I think when I watched the film I found myself asking a question I haven’t asked about a film in a long time, which is, ‘How did you do that?'”
