Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film “The Odyssey” is shaping up to be one of the director’s most expansive productions yet. According to AMC, the adaptation of Homer’s classic Greek epic will run 2 hours and 52 minutes, making it the second longest feature Nolan has directed to date, behind only 2023’s “Oppenheimer.”
The runtime also pushes the picture past “Interstellar” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” two of the filmmaker’s previous large scale epics.
Christopher Nolan’s Latest Epic Nears the Three Hour Mark
At 172 minutes, “The Odyssey” now sits just below “Oppenheimer,” which currently holds the record as Nolan’s longest movie at 180 minutes. “Interstellar” previously occupied the second spot with a runtime of 169 minutes, while “The Dark Knight Rises” came in at 164 minutes. The new figure suggests Nolan is once again embracing a sprawling narrative structure for a story that spans war, mythology, and a years long journey across dangerous seas.
The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, with Anne Hathaway portraying Penelope. The ensemble also includes Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. Nolan wrote and directed the project, while he and producer Emma Thomas are backing the picture through their Syncopy banner.
Described as a mythic action fantasy, “The Odyssey” follows Odysseus after the Trojan War as he attempts to return home while encountering figures and creatures from Greek mythology, including Polyphemus, Circe, Calypso, and the Sirens. Nolan has reportedly approached the material with a more grounded interpretation, blending large scale practical filmmaking with mythological elements rooted in natural phenomena rather than overt fantasy spectacle.
The production itself has been massive in scope. Filming took place across multiple countries including Morocco, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Scotland, Malta, and the United States. The movie was also shot entirely on IMAX 70 mm film cameras, marking a first for a feature production.
Universal Pictures is scheduled to release “The Odyssey” in theaters and IMAX on July 17. Early ticket sales for select IMAX 70 mm screenings reportedly sold out quickly after becoming available a full year ahead of release.