The Odyssey movie, Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation, opened in theaters nationwide today, July 17, 2026, and it is already being called one of the biggest cinematic events of the decade. Billed as the first feature ever shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, the three-hour adaptation of Homer’s epic poem has triggered a genuine ticket frenzy, a wave of five-star reviews, and a nationwide scramble for seats in the handful of theaters equipped to show it the way Nolan intended.
Key Takeaways
- “The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Elliott Page, Samantha Morton, and John Leguizamo.
- Early reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with critics calling it one of Nolan’s best films alongside “The Dark Knight” and “Interstellar.”
- The film runs 172 minutes and is the first movie ever shot entirely on IMAX cameras.
- Only 25 theaters in the United States (41 worldwide) can screen true IMAX 70mm film, and many are already sold out for weeks.
- Search interest in “The Odyssey” and “IMAX 70mm” both spiked dramatically overnight as the film opened nationwide.
A Three-Hour Epic That Critics Are Calling a Masterpiece
The first reviews landed this week, and the consensus is remarkably strong: many critics are describing “The Odyssey” as one of Nolan’s finest achievements, with praise focused on its emotional weight, its ensemble cast, and its willingness to tell a more linear story than fans might expect from the director of “Tenet” and “Memento.” The film currently holds a score in the mid-90s on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences, an unusually high mark for a summer tentpole of this scale.
Not every note is glowing. Several reviewers felt the film’s action sequences, particularly a climactic battle, were shot and edited less confidently than the quieter, character-driven scenes, and a few noted the nearly three-hour runtime sags in the middle. But the overwhelming takeaway from critics is that this is a must-see-on-the-biggest-screen-possible event, in the same tradition as Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and “Dunkirk.”
The Star-Studded Cast Bringing Homer’s Epic to Life
Matt Damon leads the film as Odysseus, the Greek king trying to make his way home after the Trojan War, in a performance several critics have called among the best of his career. Tom Holland plays his son Telemachus in what many are calling his most mature dramatic role since Spider-Man. The supporting cast has drawn some of the loudest praise: Anne Hathaway, Samantha Morton as the sorceress Circe, Zendaya, and Elliott Page all feature prominently in critics’ roundups of standout performances, while Robert Pattinson and John Leguizamo round out an ensemble that spans generations of A-list talent.
Why IMAX 70mm Tickets Are Nearly Impossible to Find
The biggest story around “The Odyssey” this week may not be the film itself, but the frenzy to see it in true IMAX 70mm film format. Only 25 theaters across the United States, and 41 worldwide, are equipped to project the format, and several are already sold out five weeks into release. IMAX has spent over a year hunting down, restoring, and rebuilding decades-old film projectors and training dozens of new projectionists just to expand capacity ahead of the release, since the specialized equipment has not been manufactured in roughly 50 years. IMAX’s own leadership has acknowledged demand is outpacing supply, with expansion limited by the cost of building auditoriums large enough for the format’s towering screens.
That scarcity has turned seeing “The Odyssey” in its intended format into its own cultural event, with moviegoers reportedly traveling across state lines to reach one of the qualifying theaters.
The Craft Behind the Camera
Behind the scenes, “The Odyssey” reunites Nolan with longtime collaborators cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, composer Ludwig Göransson, and editor Jennifer Lame, and all three are already drawing awards-season buzz. Van Hoytema’s photography of the film’s sea voyages and the Cyclops sequence has been singled out by multiple critics as some of the best work of his career, while Göransson’s score is being floated as a potential fourth Oscar nomination for the composer.
Why This Is Trending Right Now
Search interest tells the story clearly: queries for both “The Odyssey movie” and “IMAX 70mm” climbed steadily through the week and then spiked sharply overnight into release day, with IMAX 70mm search interest jumping the fastest as fans scrambled to find a qualifying theater. Related searches like “the odyssey showtimes imax 70mm,” “odyssey movie review,” and city-specific queries such as “imax 70mm columbus ohio” all registered as breakout or triple-digit gains in the past 24 hours, while curious moviegoers avoiding spoilers pushed searches for “does odysseus die at the end of the odyssey” up more than 4,000%.
It’s the kind of overnight demand spike The Viral Minute has been tracking all week alongside other developing stories shaping the news cycle, and it mirrors the same ticket-buying urgency we saw around this year’s World Cup final, another event where demand for a single day’s tickets far outstripped supply.
The Bigger Picture
“The Odyssey” arrives at a moment when Hollywood is still trying to answer the question Nolan has spent two decades asking: can a giant-screen theatrical experience pull audiences away from streaming? Between the record-setting box office of “Oppenheimer,” the continued strength of “Dune: Part Two,” and now this weekend’s frenzy, the answer increasingly looks like yes, at least for events big enough to justify the trip. Whether or not IMAX can meaningfully expand its 70mm footprint in the coming years may determine how many future films get this same treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “The Odyssey” based on Homer’s original poem?
Yes. Christopher Nolan adapted Homer’s ancient Greek epic himself, following Odysseus’s long journey home after the Trojan War, though critics note the script takes some creative liberties to unify different versions of the myth.
How long is “The Odyssey”?
The film runs approximately 172 minutes, or just under three hours.
Where can I watch “The Odyssey” in true IMAX 70mm?
Only 25 theaters in the U.S. and 41 worldwide are equipped for true IMAX 70mm film projection, and seats are limited, so check listings and book early if that’s your preferred format.
You don’t need 70mm to enjoy the film. Critics note it’s a strong experience in standard IMAX and regular theaters as well, though the 70mm format is being treated as the definitive way to see it.
Who stars in “The Odyssey”?
The cast is led by Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Elliott Page, Samantha Morton, and John Leguizamo.
