Christopher Nolan‘s new epic The Odyssey doesn’t release until next summer (July 17, 2026, to be exact), but a special preview of the film can be seen in theatres now! A nearly six-minute prologue is showing ahead of IMAX 70mm screenings of Sinners and One Battle After Another, and the first reactions from movie-goers who have seen the prologue are incredibly positive. After only seeing a few minutes of the movie, they’re already calling it breathtaking, jaw-dropping, and possibly even the biggest movie ever made! A sample of the first reactions can be seen at the bottom of this article.
A shorter, but still full-length, trailer for The Odyssey will play ahead of screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash next weekend.
Story
The Odyssey is based on an ancient Greek poem by Homer that tells the tale of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his journey home after the ten-year Trojan War. The trip was perilous, including encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe. At home, Odysseus is presumed dead, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must contend with groups of unruly suitors who each want Penelope’s hand in marriage to control the kingdom.
Nolan’s take on the story stars Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Mia Goth, Zendaya, Elliot Page, John Leguizamo, Samantha Morton, Ryan Hurst, Logan Marshall-Green, Lupita Nyong’o, Josh Stewart, Benny Safdie, Corey Hawkins, and Elyes Gabel.
Filming took place in Morocco (Aït Benhaddou for Troy), Greece (Peloponnese, Pylos, Methoni Castle, Nestor’s Cave), Italy (Favignana, Aeolian Islands in Sicily), Scotland (Moray Firth coast, Findlater Castle), and Iceland. Favignana, Sicily’s “Goat Island” is “believed to be the place where Homer envisioned Odysseus landed with his motley crew to barbecue goats and stock up on food. The idyllic isle is part of the Egadi archipelago off of Sicily’s north-west coast.“
IMAX
The Odyssey is the first movie to shoot entirely in IMAX, and IMAX and Cinemark have reached a deal to install new equipment or make significant upgrades to 17 theatres across the United States and South America so the presentation of this movie can be as spectacular as possible.
Are you hyped for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey? Check out the first reactions to the film’s prologue, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
The Odyssey prologue is straight-up jaw-dropping. Being the first movie ever shot 100% on IMAX film cameras is already wild, but the way it looks on screen is next-level insane. The sound design will give you anxiety (in a good way) & that score build up hits you in the chest and… pic.twitter.com/mFEzG6g3U1
— Andre Saint-Albin (@AndreSaintAlbin) December 12, 2025
The prologue for THE ODYSSEY promises the biggest scale and spectacle Christopher Nolan has ever attempted. From pulse pounding tension to Ludwig Göransson’s insane score, there’s no doubt THE ODYSSEY will be the cinematic event of 2026. I was gobsmacked. pic.twitter.com/6cM6AtTosB
— Dan Marcus (@Danimalish) December 12, 2025
What I love in the prologue of THE ODYSSEY:
. Ludwig Göransson’s score, unbelievably intense and epic.
. Nolan’s direction, perfectly conveying the gigantic, epic scale of the Siege of Troy.
. Matt Damon, whose charisma is palpable from the very first second.
What I like… pic.twitter.com/LYo1HTGUp4
— Nolan Archive (@NolanAnalyst) December 12, 2025
The 5 minute Prologue of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming opus THE ODYSSEY is absolutely fucking magnificent.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS meets LAWRENCE OF ARABIA meets BEN HUR in terms of scale with the haunting spectacle of DUNKIRK & THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.
A truly stunning, masterful… pic.twitter.com/kkWnuehl5v
— Jesabel (@JesabelRaay) December 12, 2025
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey’s Prologue is without a doubt some of the most intense & heart racing sequences of his career.
An incredible 5 minutes of story telling that instantly lock you in & NEVER let go! Once it ended I was basically begging to see the rest of the film pic.twitter.com/dQ3x5xSieO— Zach Pope (@popetheking) December 12, 2025
I have seen the prologue to Christopher Nolans #TheOdyssey. I have never seen scale like this before from Nolan. Ludwig Goranssons score builds in tension that you can feel almost punching through your chest. This film will own 2026, and will be one for the history books. pic.twitter.com/KeH3Pu30ay
— Alex Walason (@AlexWalason) December 12, 2025
Can inform you all that The Odyssey prologue is incredible. I have no words
— sam (@_SamDeluca) December 12, 2025
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