Ever the proponent of IMAX for nearly 20 years, Christopher Nolan will make movie history as his latest film The Odyssey will become the first-ever film to be shot entirely in IMAX with new technology developed by the company to make Nolan’s ambition a reality.
Nolan has utilized IMAX ever since testing it for a single scene in The Prestige and then extensively in the 2008 Batman hit The Dark Knight. With each subsequent film, he has found ways to push the boundaries of what IMAX can be capable of by shooting in the format more with each film or filming in new ways whether strapping the camera to planes for Dunkirk or rotating hallways for Inception.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond revealed at Cannes the idea for The Odyssey to be shot entirely on IMAX came from Nolan himself. “Chris called me up and said, ‘If you can figure out how to solve the problems, I will make [Odyssey] 100 percent in IMAX.’ And that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “He forced us to rethink that side of our business, our film recorders, our film cameras.”
IMAX cameras are known for being notoriously bulky and loud. The new cameras IMAX has developed for The Odyssey are reported to be 30% quieter than the previous cameras and much lighter with the added benefit of new film scanning and processing techniques for its 70mm film that will allow a faster turnaround for dailies for Nolan and future directors.
The Odyssey is Nolan’s telling of the Greek tragedy epic by Homer which follows the mythical hero Odysseus in the decade following the Trojan War. Thrust across the sea after angering the sea god Poseidon, Odysseus sailed across the ocean and encountered many iconic creatures and characters of Greek mythology in his quest to return home. In typical Nolan fashion, he has assembled an all-star cast with Matt Damon leading the film as Odysseus.
Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new Imax film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to Imax film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.
The Odyssey features Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page, Hamish Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Nick Tarabay, Jimmy Gonzales, Maurice Compte, Michael Vlamis and Iddo Goldberg.
The Odyssey will be released on July 17th, 2026.
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