Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey: Cast, IMAX 70mm & 99% Rotten Tomatoes

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey hits theaters July 17, 2026 with a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score. Full cast, IMAX 70mm locations, reviews and the trailer inside.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the movie event of the summer, and the reviews are in before most people have even bought a ticket. Nolan's adaptation of Homer's ancient epic opens in theaters on July 17, 2026, carrying a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, a $250 million budget, and a cast led by Matt Damon as Odysseus. It is also, by design, a film best seen on the largest screen you can find.

This guide covers everything you actually want to know: the full cast, the July 17 release, the IMAX 70mm format and where to watch it, what the reviews say, the record-setting Rotten Tomatoes score, and the official trailer — all in one place.

The Odyssey is Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's ancient poem, a 173-minute, $250 million Universal epic starring Matt Damon as Odysseus.

The Odyssey is finally here, and the hype has been building for well over a year. Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's 3,000-year-old epic poem lands in theaters on July 17, 2026, and by the time general audiences file in, critics have already crowned it one of the best-reviewed films of the director's career. It is big in every sense: a reported $250 million budget, a 173-minute runtime, and a cast stacked with some of the most recognizable names in movies.

For Nolan, this is a swing at the oldest adventure story in Western literature — a soldier's long, cursed voyage home from war. For audiences, it is the summer's defining cinematic event, and the film almost everyone is telling you to see on the biggest screen you can find. Here is everything worth knowing before you buy a ticket: the cast, the format, the reviews, where to watch it in true IMAX 70mm, and the trailer itself.

The official trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, from Universal Pictures.

If you have not seen it yet, the trailer sets the tone: stormy seas, ancient monsters teased in shadow, and Nolan's trademark scale. Watch the official trailer below.

The Odyssey premiered in London on July 6, 2026, with preview screenings on July 16 and a wide theatrical release on July 17 in the US and UK.

Universal Pictures gave The Odyssey a proper roll-out. The film held its world premiere at the Empire Leicester Square in London on July 6, 2026, followed by a New York premiere on July 14. Preview screenings opened on July 16, with the wide theatrical release landing July 17, 2026, in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

This is a theatrical-first release, and Nolan built it that way. There is no simultaneous streaming option; if you want to see The Odyssey right now, you are going to a cinema. Given how the film was shot, that is very much the point.

Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, with Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o and Samantha Morton among the ensemble.

The casting is a big part of the conversation. Matt Damon anchors the film as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca trying to get home. Tom Holland plays his son Telemachus, and Anne Hathaway is Penelope, the wife who waits years for his return.

The mythological figures are played by an equally loaded roster. Zendaya appears as the goddess Athena; Charlize Theron as the nymph Calypso; Samantha Morton as the sorceress Circe; and Lupita Nyong'o in a dual role as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Robert Pattinson plays Antinous, one of the suitors circling Penelope's court. Rounding out the ensemble are more than a dozen additional performers, making this one of the deepest casts Nolan has ever assembled.

The Odyssey was filmed entirely with IMAX 70mm cameras — a technical first that shapes how and where the film is best seen.

Here is the detail film fans keep repeating: The Odyssey was shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film cameras. Nolan has used IMAX cameras for parts of his films for years, but committing to the format for a whole feature is a technical statement. IMAX 70mm captures a huge, ultra-high-resolution image with a taller aspect ratio, which means more of the frame fills your field of view in a properly equipped theater.

That choice is why the marketing leans so hard on premium formats. Presale tickets for IMAX 70mm screenings went live a full year ahead of release, in July 2025, and several showings sold out within hours. If you have followed Nolan since Interstellar, Dunkirk or Oppenheimer, you know the drill: the format is not a gimmick to him, it is the whole reason to leave the house.

Only about 30 theaters worldwide can project true IMAX 70mm. Most people will watch in digital IMAX or another premium large format instead.

This is where expectations need a reality check. True IMAX 70mm film projection is rare — only around 30 theaters in the world are equipped for it, and those screens have been booking out fast. If you are searching for 'IMAX 70mm locations' or 'IMAX near me,' start with the official IMAX website and the big chains — AMC, Regal and Cinemark — which list exactly which format each location is running.

Do not panic if there is no 70mm screen near you. The vast majority of moviegoers will see The Odyssey in digital IMAX, Dolby Cinema, or another premium large format, and it will still look spectacular. The 70mm film prints are the purist's version; the other premium formats are the excellent, widely available alternative. Book early either way, because the best showings are selling out.

With around 60 early reviews counted, The Odyssey is sitting near 99% on Rotten Tomatoes — the highest score of Christopher Nolan's career.

Let's talk numbers, because 'The Odyssey Rotten Tomatoes' has been one of the week's biggest searches. With roughly 60 reviews counted so far, the film is sitting at about 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. The exact figure has ticked between 98% and 99% as more reviews land, which is normal for an opening week, but the takeaway is clear.

This is a Rotten Tomatoes record for Christopher Nolan. It edges past his previous career highs — films like The Dark Knight and Memento sat around 94% — making The Odyssey, by this measure, the best-reviewed movie he has ever made. For a director whose films are routinely praised, clearing that bar is a genuine milestone and has instantly pushed the film into early awards-season conversation.

Critics have praised the film's scale, its ensemble cast and Matt Damon's performance, with several calling it Nolan's finest work.

Beyond the score, the tone of the reviews is what matters, and it is close to unanimous. Critics have singled out the film's sheer scale, the emotional weight Nolan finds inside the myth, and a colossal ensemble that pulls its weight. Matt Damon's Odysseus, in particular, has drawn strong notices as the grounded human center of an enormous production.

The broad consensus is that Nolan has reinvigorated an ancient adventure with modern craft while keeping the primal, human feeling at its core. Several reviewers have gone further and called it his best film to date. As always, a few voices will find the runtime demanding or the spectacle overwhelming — but the odyssey reviews, taken together, are as glowing as it gets for a summer blockbuster.

The Odyssey follows the Greek hero Odysseus on his perilous ten-year journey home after the Trojan War, facing monsters, gods and temptation.

If you never studied Homer, here is the short version. The Odyssey picks up after the Trojan War as Odysseus, king of Ithaca, tries to sail home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. The journey should take weeks. Because he angers the gods, it takes ten years.

Along the way he faces a gallery of legendary dangers: the one-eyed Cyclops, the enchantress Circe who turns men into pigs, the deadly song of the Sirens, and the nymph Calypso who keeps him captive out of love. Back home, Penelope fends off aggressive suitors who assume Odysseus is dead. It is a story about endurance, cunning and the pull of home — themes that map neatly onto Nolan's long-running obsessions with time, memory and survival.

Filmed across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, Malta and more, the production matches its mythic scope with real-world scale.

Part of what makes the film feel enormous is that Nolan shot it big and shot it real. Production traveled across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, Western Sahara and Malta, in addition to work at the Universal lot in Los Angeles. That globe-spanning shoot gives the voyage a tactile, weather-beaten reality that computer effects alone rarely achieve.

Combine that with the IMAX 70mm photography, a $250 million budget, and one of the strongest casts in recent memory, and you get exactly the kind of event picture the theatrical business has been hoping for. Whatever else it is, The Odyssey is built to be seen on the largest screen you can reach.

If a true IMAX 70mm screen is within reach and tickets are available, it is the definitive way to watch. If not, digital IMAX or Dolby Cinema are excellent alternatives.

So, is chasing an IMAX 70mm screening worth it? If you have one of the roughly 30 true 70mm theaters within a reasonable drive and you can still get a seat, yes — that is the exact experience Nolan designed the film around, and it will not look better anywhere else. Buy early, because those screens are the first to sell out.

If not, do not overthink it. A digital IMAX, Dolby Cinema or premium large-format screening will deliver the size, brightness and sound the film demands. The single biggest mistake is waiting so long that you end up on a small screen. For a movie like this, the format is a meaningful part of the story — see it big.

Rotten Tomatoes scores move during opening week, and some details may evolve as the film goes wide.

A couple of honest caveats. Rotten Tomatoes percentages shift as more critics weigh in, so the exact score you see may read 98% or 99% depending on when you check; treat it as 'near-perfect' rather than a fixed number. Reported figures like the $250 million budget come from studio and trade reporting and can be approximate.

This is also a brand-new release, so audience reactions and box-office numbers are still coming in as of publication. Where this article describes reception, it reflects early critical reviews, not the full picture that will settle over the coming weeks.

Common questions about The Odyssey's release, cast, IMAX 70mm screenings and Rotten Tomatoes score.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey opens wide in theaters on July 17, 2026, in the United States and United Kingdom, with preview screenings on July 16. It premiered in London on July 6 and in New York on July 14. The film is a theatrical release with no simultaneous streaming option.

Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, with Tom Holland as Telemachus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope. The ensemble also includes Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as Calypso, Samantha Morton as Circe, Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, and Robert Pattinson as Antinous, plus many more.

As of early reviews, The Odyssey is sitting at about 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, though it has moved between 98% and 99% as more reviews are counted. That makes it the best-reviewed film of Christopher Nolan's career, ahead of previous highs around 94% for films like The Dark Knight.

Yes. The Odyssey was filmed entirely with IMAX 70mm film cameras, making it one of the most ambitious uses of the format to date. That is why the film is being promoted so heavily for premium large-format and IMAX 70mm screenings.

Only around 30 theaters worldwide can project true IMAX 70mm film. To find one, check the official IMAX website and the AMC, Regal and Cinemark listings for your area. If no 70mm screen is nearby, digital IMAX or Dolby Cinema are excellent alternatives.

The Odyssey runs about 173 minutes, or roughly two hours and 53 minutes. It is a long film by mainstream standards, in keeping with the epic scope of the source material and Christopher Nolan's recent work.

Yes. The film adapts Homer's ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey, which follows the hero Odysseus on his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War, facing monsters, gods and temptation along the way.

No. At release, The Odyssey is exclusively in theaters, with no simultaneous streaming. A streaming or digital release would typically follow months after the theatrical run, but no date has been announced. To watch it now, you need a cinema ticket.

The Odyssey pairs a record-breaking critical response with a format built for the big screen — the rare blockbuster worth planning around.

The Odyssey arrives with almost impossibly high expectations and, by the early reviews, meets them. A near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, a cast this deep, and a director working at the peak of his ambition do not line up often. Whatever your relationship to Homer or to Christopher Nolan's movies, this is a film built to be experienced, not streamed later on a laptop.

If there is one practical takeaway, it is this: see it big, and see it soon. Chase the largest, best-equipped screen you can reach — ideally IMAX 70mm, and a premium format if not — and go before the best showings sell out. Some films you can catch up with anytime. This is not one of them.