Christopher Nolan is known for utilizing the best modern filmmaking technology available when making his movies. For instance, his 2026 movie release, The Odyssey, is a technological achievement, as it was shot on two million feet of IMAX film. Despite the British filmmaker's tech-savvy strategies, the man himself is still not tempted to get a smartphone. Truth be told, though, I understand his logic.

On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Memento director got real about internet rumors that have circulated about him throughout the years. It was probably a given that a biggie that came up was Nolan's preference not to use a smartphone or email. As for why the Oscar-winning director has never felt the need to join the crowd, Nolan shared a very logical answer during his interview (which can be seen on YouTube):

Wow, it’s been decades since I’ve seen a flip phone in the wild! However, I completely understand where Christopher Nolan is coming from in preferring an old-fashioned cellphone over a smartphone. As we as a society become more glued to our phones and other electronic devices, we lose sight of the world around us as well as in-person communication. If having a “dumb phone” is enough for the Oppenheimer filmmaker and helps his creative process, I'm all for him sticking to his mantra.

So, if The Dark Knight filmmaker doesn’t use a smartphone, how did he communicate with his cast and crew while making The Odyssey? Nolan gave an old-school answer, and it makes a lot of sense:

Now, why didn’t I think of that? Considering how massive the cast and crew of the epic action fantasy flick is, it makes sense that Nolan would certainly not be without people who could help him out tech-wise.

Not only was the Inception director against personally using smartphones amid production on his movies, but that's the same deal with his casts. Nolan has long had a "no phone" rule on his sets, and Tom Holland said Nolan's policy remained in place on the Odyssey set. If anything, that's a truly distraction-free way of keeping the actors focused on their movie. Believe it or not, he's even banned UGGs from his set to also not break the illusion of the world being built out in the film.

As for how The Prestige director has been able to get away with contacting his actors without a cellphone, he has his wife and producing partner, Emma Thomas, give a heads-up when he's ready for a phone call. And, from there, he'll call the star from a studio landline. You’d think it’d be just easier for the man to group-message or call his actors on a Samsung or iPhone. But, if calling from a landline works for one of the most successful filmmakers of our generation, who are we to judge?

With Christopher Nolan’s love of practical effects and belief in the communal, theater-going experience, it should come as no surprise that the London native isn't keen on immersing himself too deep in personal electronics. I can certainly see the advantages of owning a smartphone, but I also understand the benefits of shying away from such items.

I hope Nolan fans check out The Odyssey in theaters now and, while you're doing so, keep that phone away and enjoy the experience.

It’s uncomfortable saying anything negative about The Odyssey right now. In an age of mediocre sequels and uninspired live action adaptations, it feels necessary to exclusively put good vibes into the universe about a big budget event film with high art aspirations that’s doing its own thing. Most of us want more movies like it, and because of that desire, it’s more comfortable to just tell people, “The Odyssey is great! Go see it.”

The truth, however, is that The Odyssey is not great. It’s merely good, and the reason why it’s a step below great is because it has a major side character problem. More specifically, it’s filled with dozens of disposable side characters with one-note personalities who are merely there to advance the plot.

It’s Mostly A Problem Of Structure

I know The Odyssey is a long movie, but even for a long movie, a lot of stuff happens. We get the Trojan Horse and the destruction that comes afterwards. We get the bit with the cyclops, the bit with the sirens and the bit with Scylla and Charybids. There’s an extended sequence with Calypso and the Lotus Flowers. There’s the cattle of Helios and the entire fallout from that. There’s the stuff with Circe and Odysseus’ men and then the stuff with Circe and Odysseus himself. There’s the scene where he meets with the soldiers who have died, and the scene where they have to escape the man-eating giants.

And that’s just the stuff involving Odysseus while he’s on his extended adventure. We also get a parallel plot that runs throughout the movie that involves his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. She has to fend off the suitors who want to marry her and take her place, and Telemachus goes on his own side quest to Sparta to meet with Menelaus and try to figure out if his father is really dead.

Altogether, it’s too much plot for a single movie. It would have been an impossible task to get through all of this in three hours without abridging and trying to move through everything with a brisk momentum.

But That Doesn’t Change The Fact That These Side Characters Are Not Good

Most of The Odyssey’s runtime follows Odysseus’ quest to get home alongside his men. Unfortunately, we spend almost no time with those actual men at all. There are a few scenes of plot-driven banter and minor character development between Matt Damon’s Odysseus and Himesh Patel’s Eurylochus, but there’s nothing particularly memorable or noteworthy about their relationship.

They don’t have a fun rapport or any distinct conversations. And we get almost nothing from anyone else, apart from occasional reaction shots and maybe the odd bit of dialogue here or there. They have no quirks, eccentricities or memorable facets to their personalities. They’re just around to move the plot along.

Unfortunately, that’s a recurring theme with most of the characters in the movie, even the ones that should stand out. Take Charlize Theron’s Calypso. Odysseus spends years eating the Lotus Flowers and living with her on the island, but for the sake of runtime, we’re really just told about it. We don’t see them spending any real time together, and she’s not even given a fully developed personality. Theron has been nominated for three Oscars and has a long track record of doing really weird and memorable things with many of her characters, and yet, she feels so subdued here.

You could go down the list and say the same thing for side character after side character. Zendaya's Athena, Jon Bernthal’s Menelaus, Lupita Nyong’o’s Helen Of Troy and Mia Goth’s maid servant, are all, in theory, key characters played by acclaimed actors who should have a memorable impact on the movie, and instead, they’re just kind of there. Sometimes they deliver really emotional and weighty dialogue, but since we’re not given time to get to know their characters, they just feel like words moving along the plot.

I can’t imagine anyone leaving The Odyssey and saying, ‘you know what side character I really loved?’ Even the ones who are in the movie for a substantial amount of time feel so shallow and without. Robert Pattinson is, I guess, trying to be a little quirky with his portrayal of Antinous, who is the stand-in for the suitors that we see the most, but he’s still ultimately a stock villain from the sleazy handbook.

Samantha Morton’s Circe and John Leguizamo’s Eumaeus are getting a bit of positive buzz, but in my opinion, they still feel semi-neutered or at least like unrealized potential. Morton is in the movie for like fifteen minutes, maybe, and chooses to go a bit more understated than the set buzz had me believe, and almost all of Leguizamo’s scenes are just an old man getting picked on and looking downtrodden (apart from that wild puppy scene).

It’s A Missed Opportunity

Once again, none of this is to say The Odyssey is a bad movie or not worth your time. It’s a good movie that is worth your time. You should go see it because it’s (for the most part) an achievement in what’s possible and has a ton of scenes that work really well. There’s so much about the film that’s worth praising, but none of it has to do with character development, which is mediocre at best for Damon's Odysseus, as well as the other two leads Anne Hathaway (who makes the most of her one-note widow) and Tom Holland (who is decent as the one-note meek son).

I don’t know how Nolan could have possibly developed all these characters in three hours, but ultimately, he picked this story and this format. Maybe it should have been two movies. Maybe it should have been a miniseries. I don’t know what the answer was, but I think we should be honest that the path he picked has obvious limitations.

It sucks that the sirens were a three minute afterthought because there wasn’t time to develop their characters. It sucks that we didn’t get more from Theron or Bernthal or Nyong’o. It sucks that Morton’s Circe was only around for like ninety seconds before she showed her true intentions. All of these characters could have been the centerpiece of entire movies or episodes or at least hour long chunks. Instead, they’re underdeveloped. Instead, they’re part of a side character problem that can’t be overlooked.

Christopher Nolan's movies are known for their epic scale and practical effects, and he's done it again with The Odyssey, which is crushing at the box office. The acclaimed book-to-screen adaptation is super ambitious, and Matt Damon recalled one wild moment on set that showed just how big of a production the latest Nolan movie truly is.

The Odyssey's reviews have been super positive, and there's already Awards Season buzz surrounding the massive blockbuster. Matt Damon movies aren't known for being on indie budgets, but the level of production on Nolan's latest shocked even him. In a video from The Today Show's Instagram, the 55-year-old actor spoke about shooting one particularly epic sequence. In his words:

Talk about a crazy day on set. Damon is no stranger to huge movies, but it sounds like The Odyssey was on another level... even for him. Christopher Nolan has a reputation for preferring practical effects over CGI, and that includes employing tons of extras when necessary. Case in point: The Dark Knight Rise's epic final battle actually had hundreds of background actors rush at each other when Bane's forces collided with Gotham's Police Department. And the scale of The Odyssey is even bigger than that Batman movie (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription).

In the same interview, the Martian actor went on to tell the same story, and a comment by cinematographer Hoyt van Hoytema really highlighted what a huge movie they were filming. As Damon went on:

Talk about perspective. The fact that Christopher Nolan put this much money and effort into what would ultimately just be a flashback for The Odyssey proved how huge a movie it would become. That includes plenty of epic flashbacks, a stellar ensemble cast, and (of course) that wild Trojan Horse sequence.

Fans can see The Odyssey's scale for themselves as the movie is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Spoiler alert: the movie is HUGE.

Famously, Christopher Nolan, whose The Odyssey is currently walking all over the competition at the box office, doesn’t like cell phones. He doesn’t use one, and he bans them from his sets. It turns out that’s not the only bit of modernity that he doesn’t want on set. He apparently bans the ubiquitous boots, UGGs, from his working environment as well. He was asked about it on CBS Mornings and related why he doesn’t like actors turning up to set in the footwear. I’ll be honest, I’m with him on this, but maybe for different reasons.

Christopher Nolan's Philosophy Is Kind Of Like Method Directing

Method acting is when an actor tries to completely disappear into a character, even when the cameras aren’t rolling. It’s a craft practiced by many of the best actors in the world, perhaps most famously used by Daniel Day-Lewis. It can be seen as mercurial and often obnoxious, but you can’t argue with success. Nolan, it turns out, brings some of that same thought process to his director’s chair and is seen acutely with the UGGs ban. He doesn’t want actors wearing them when they arrive to shoot a scene. Here’s what he said when asked why by CBS Mornings host Gayle King:

It’s easy to imagine how “real” some of Nolan’s set pieces feel, given his preference to avoid CGI and rely on practical effects. Showing up to the ancient city of Troy in a pair of trendy footwear could pull everyone on set out of the “reality” of the ancient Mediterranean. Nolan added:

This kind of thing might come across as pretentious or even a little silly, but for me it’s easy to understand. While some method acting goes to the extreme, it serves a real artistic purpose, just like this type of “method directing.” Nolan wants everyone on set to be in tune to what is happening in any given scene, and I’m sure it can be easy to lose focus, if only for a moment when distracted by something so “today.” This is probably especially true in a period epic like The Odyssey, which may be part of the 2025 movie schedule, but is very much of a different era.

For me, I think the shoes are ugly, so for that reason, I’m on board with Nolan’s decision to ban them from his sets, even if he actually thinks UGGs are "great."

I went into The Odyssey feeling optimistic about Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem. Having only just read the story within the past year, I won't pretend I marched into the 2026 movie with a list of things that absolutely needed to be done to my scholarly satisfaction, but my fingers were crossed for something special. Overall I loved the movie, and it definitely helped to deepen my appreciation for the story. Amidst its three-hour runtime, we got fascinating characters, incredible (and sometimes terrifying) imagery and a thoughtful approach to depicting the impact of war. There was also one sequence that completely blew my mind, and I doubt I'm alone.

Seeing how Odysseus and his men carried out his plan to sneak into Troy inside the horse was nothing short of riveting. So you can imagine how floored I was this week, when I learned that the concept of the partially submerged horse was something Nolan had been noodling around with since he was attached to direct a movie more than two decades ago.

When speaking with Jon Stewart about The Odyssey, Nolan spoke about the challenge of presenting the Trojan Horse concept to a modern audience.

He made a fair point there, then went on to explain that this was a problem he tasked himself with solving back when he was attached to direct 2004's Troy, the loose Iliad adaptation written by David Benioff, which would ultimately be directed by Wolfgang Peterson. As Nolan noted, the horse isn't featured in The Iliad, but they put it in the script.

We first glimpse the horse near the start of the movie. Seeing how it's partially buried in sand on the shore, it really doesn't look like an obvious attempt to sneak a boatload of soldiers into the fortified city. Rather than the usual depiction of the horse with all four hooves on the ground, this version of the statue is bucking upward, making it kind of impossible to fathom it could be anything other than what it appears to be (and certainly not a structure filled with Greek soldiers).

It isn't until later in the film that we're able to see how it all work, and it's truly brilliant. It's not like Odysseus and all of his people are securely set up in comfortable positions, snickering at the Trojans who are about to let them through their impassible wall. These Greek soldiers are essentially stacked on top of one another, with some drowning due to the tide flooding the lower part of the horse, and others getting literally crapped on by the people above them. They also have to try to be completely quiet and avoid being stabbed when some of the Trojans poke their swords in. The whole thing seems like a nightmare situation, but one that yields major dividends when they're ultimately dragged inside the city and able to pull off their attack.

As Nolan explained it to Stewart, making the whole thing believable was his initial goal with the concept he'd been hanging onto all this time:

Mission accomplished! This is one of those movie scenes that will undoubtedly live rent-free in my mind for as long as I live. The fact that the idea was something that sparked inside Nolan's imagination more than two decades ago is a great piece of the lore. It also leaves me to wonder what other ideas he has in that mind of his, just waiting for the opportunity for him to bring it to life.

As a longtime member of Team CinemaBlend, I am rarely happier than when actors and filmmakers who aren’t known for horror projects voice their desires to make spooky movies. Such splendor usually doesn’t happen with name as big as Christopher Nolan, but the Odyssey director and current box office king is apparently down and eager to get behind the camera for a new horror movie.

Nolan’s admission is heavenly music to my ears, even if Hans Zimmer’s “bwomp” bass is also back there somewhere. The director, who didn’t shy away from horrific imagery in his adaptation of Homer’s epic, voiced his feelings about potentially bringing his talents to horror storytelling with The Empire Film Podcast (via Spotify), saying:

Now, I’m not going to pick a fight with the Oscar winner for that blanketed assessment about the number of “really great horror movies” out there. In comparison to the vast overall number of movies that have been produced, then yes, there are relatively few. But “very few” implies a number lower than I’m willing to accept. That said, I would give my third and fourth eyes to know which horror movies he does consider to be really great, and how many of them rank among CinemaBlend’s Best Horror Movies rankings.

One might ask, “If Chris Nolan wants to make a horror movie, what’s actually stopping him?” And the answer to that question is apparently the Brit’s ability to find the right source material. As he explained:

Considering how much technical wizardry Nolan brings to his films, with IMAX cameras often getting a big focus, I can certainly get how the vast majority of horror narratives might not scale up to what he's used to working with. I can't imagine he'd sign up for any kind of limited-location project in the vein of Exit 8 or Cube, and almost definitely wouldn't be interested in going the found-footage route for a Blair Witch update. (I know one already exists, but I'm just brainstorming.)

As such, it stands to reason that Nolan would be most interested in telling an expansive and layered horror story that wouldn't feel so out of placed paired up with one of his non-epics such as Memento or Insomnia, or possibly even Inception, Interstellar or The Dark Knight. Much as I'd love to believe that A Nightmare on Elm Street fits that bill, I don't foresee Nolan following in Wes Craven's footsteps.

But I do have several ideas in mind for horror projects that the Oppenheimer director could knock out of the park if he ever invested his creative efforts into them. Since I can't very well get inside his brain to determine what kinds of original genre stories he might have kicking around, I opted for a list of novel and comic books that I think would make for solid gold Nolan adaptations.

• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - House of Leaves is largely considered an unfilmable tome, given the multiple narratives and timelines being depicted through the core text and the ever-present footnotes. But if there's anyone who can pull off the haunting tale of a man who loses himself inside his increasingly expanding home, it's Nolan.
• American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Stephen King & Rafael Albuquerque - While I'd love to throw several Stephen King works out as potential adaptation fare, his folksy charms don't necessarily mesh with Nolan's. Instead, I think this historical approach to vampires in America would lend itself well to the director's talents, and it's definitely different enough from Sinners to not worry about overlap.
• Gideon Falls by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino- Gideon Falls is perhaps my favorite horror comic, written and illustrated by perhaps my favorite writer and artist. So I'd probably slap it into every list I can think of, but I actually do think its massive story about a black barn and those haunted by it (to say the least) would be glorious putty in Nolan's hands.
• A Walk Through Hell by Garth Ennis & Goran Sudžuka - This disturbing tale sees FBI agents taking on the most baffling and depraved case of their careers, and delivers genre thrills while also tapping into true crime elements.
• Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay - Few horror stories get more widescale than tales about infectious outbreaks, and this one comes from one of the best horror authors working, Paul Tremblay.
• Fatale by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips - Brubaker & Phillips are best known for Criminal, but they bring the supernatural and old Holllywood into their neo-noir storytelling for Fatale, which centers on a seemingly immortal woman whom men can't help but desire, except for those in the cult trying to kill her.
• Annihilation (All the Southern Reach books, really) by Jeff VanderMeer - Yes, the first of this unnerving quartet of novels was already adapted by Alex Garland in 2018, but that film was not built to tell the entire story, and left a lot of disturbing details by the wayside as a result. With Nolan's brains and budgetary command, Area X could live anew and better than ever.

I could easily keep coming up with new examples of horror movies that Christopher Nolan should make, but I should probably save my energy to pitch one of these in person whenever I next share an elevator with him. Which will definitely be around a quarter to never, so wishful thinking is what I'll be resting my laurels on in the days to come.

While waiting for him to announce his next project, join the many in seeing The Odyssey currently in theaters.

Tom Holland is a pro when it comes to stunt sequences. He’s been doing stunt choreography and fight scenes for a decade now, and I can’t think of anyone who has done more cinematic backflips in their movie career. However, apparently The Odyssey came with new challenges that the actor had never experienced before, and he recently explained what these sword fight sequences made things feel so much more dangerous.

In a recent interview with the cast of The Odyssey for Entertainment Weekly, the all-star group of actors talked about what made shooting this film so much more intense than their experiences in the past. All of the actors had experience with action sequences before, like the memorable fight sequences from the Jason Bourne movies with Matt Damon, or the stunt scenes with Anne Hathaway in the Dark Knight Rises.

However with three Spider-Man movies and three Avengers movies under his belt, Holland might take the cake as the most experienced. He joked that his Spidy-skills wouldn't have worked for this film though, saying:

The armor in The Odyssey scenes wasn’t the only thing that set the fight sequences in the film apart from Spider-Man, though. Holland explained that the sword battles in the buzzy 2026 movie release felt incredibly different than anything he’d experienced before, and a lot of this had to do with the way that director Christopher Nolan directs scenes like this, where he runs through it completely without cutting. Holland explained:

I can imagine how this could be incredibly daunting. When swords are being moved around everywhere in a stunt sequence without any cutting, it must feel very scary. Even though this is all movie magic, with intricate stunt choreography and safety precautions all being taken, it doesn’t take away from the fact that heavy, pointy movie props are moving around everywhere. The lack of cutting makes everything feel way more real and less clean than a Marvel movie. Nolan also admitted that the weapons used in a film like this makes things more dangerous, saying:

The danger behind the whole thing translates so well on screen, so the shooting style was definitely the right move for scenes like this. It brings a sense of grandiosity as well as danger, and Nolan’s insistence on actually using hordes of extras for his battles instead of CGI grounds the film even more. Comparing Marvel sequences with The Odyssey feels a bit unfair, but with a shared cast, it’s hard not to. There is something so gritty about these sequences that work so perfectly for The Odyssey, and allows the characters, like Holland's, to actually feel the stakes of the film.

You can see Tom Holland in The Odyssey, which is currently in theaters nationwide in IMAX and on 70mm. The Odyssey is being lauded by critics, so make sure to check it out on the biggest screen possible while you still can. Fans of the Peter Parker actor can also see him in the MCU Spider-Man films, which are all streaming with a Disney+ subscription, with the latest heading to theaters on July 31, 2026.

Let’s get this out of the way: I loved The Odyssey. The new Christopher Nolan film, which finally hits the 2026 movie schedule this weekend, isn't perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed the full three-hour runtime of the epic. I applaud the technical achievements made by Nolan and the crew. However, there was one thing that completely pulled me out of the movie, and that was the Automatic Dialogue Replacement (ADR) in some scenes. I noticed it multiple times in the movie, and I know why it was necessary, but I need to make note of it.

Penelope And Telemachus On The Balcony

I first noticed it early in the movie in a scene between Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and Telemachus (Tom Holland). They are standing on the balcony of their castle, overlooking Ithaca, and Hathaway’s dialogue is clearly overdubbed. It completely distracted me for the whole scene. If you’re not familiar with the term, ADR is when actors overdub their lines in post-production because the on-set microphones don’t pick up the dialogue clearly due to any number of circumstances.

There are probably a couple of things at work in this scene that required the ADR from Hathaway. IMAX cameras are notorious for being loud and can be problematic when trying to pick up sound. Nolan and company mitigated this problem somewhat with a custom-built soundproof box for their cameras when filming the movie, but that could still be part of the issue. The other is a simpler explanation: it was windy on the wall overlooking the island. My guess is that it was a combination of the two, and while ADR is very common in modern filmmaking, it doesn’t usually stand out as much as this did to me. The same was true a few other times in the movie.

Overall, The Sound Quality Surprised Me

I saw The Odyssey in IMAX, so theoretically, I was seeing and hearing the movie in the perfect format. However, I was a bit surprised by how all over the place the sound was in the movie. In addition to the dialogue issues, I was also taken aback by how loud some moments were. I’m a music fan, and I see a lot of concerts, so loud doesn’t usually bother me, but at least in my screening, the sound was louder than I’ve ever experienced in a movie. I’ve seen many movies in the same theater and never heard anything like this.

At one point, my friend sitting next to me actually covered his ears. I can’t say whether this is due to the sound mixing in the movie or due to the theater I was sitting in, but it was LOUD to the point of being uncomfortable at times. Christopher Nolan movies are often controversial, but generally perfect when it comes to sound, so hearing both the ADR issues and the general volume of some of the action sequences wasn’t something I expected.

Let me be clear: as I was in the beginning, I still love the movie, and I think everyone should experience it in an IMAX theater, or at least on the biggest screen they can find. It’s visually stunning, and sound aside, I don’t think it will be nearly the same on even a big TV at home. I hope Nolan goes big like this the next time he makes a movie.

Christopher Nolan is easily one of the greatest filmmakers of our time and, in a way, he’s also one of the most eclectic. The Oscar-winning writer/director is known for having a no-phone policy on set for his cast and crew members. Additionally, Nolan himself doesn’t have a cellphone or email, leading to questions about how he contacts actors for new projects. I’m one of the many who has wondered about this and, thankfully, we now have an answer, thanks to one of Nolan’s collaborators.

Matt Damon has worked with Nolan on three films – Interstellar, Oppenheimer and most recently the 2026 movie release The Odyssey. The leading man – who plays Odysseus in the fantasy epic – recently recalled how he learned Nolan wanted him in the movie. As Damon explains to People, the Dark Knight helmer obviously has a bit of help when it comes to reaching out to stars, considering the lack of tech he uses. Unsurprisingly, one of his closest (and most crucial) collaborators manages to fill the gap for him:

Aside from being Nolan’s longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas is also his wife of 29 years. Considering Thomas’ professional position, her being the first point of contact honestly makes sense regardless of her husband having a phone and email or not. It sounds like the studio Nolan is working with – Universal in this case – also serves as the place from where he’ll phone an actor. It’s been (rightfully) said that filmmaking is a collaboration and, in Nolan’s case, that’s definitely true when it comes to reaching out to actors.

It may be hard to get a hold of Nolan, given his lack of electronic communication methods but, when he does come calling, it’s certainly a big moment. Damon may have worked with Nolan before getting his Odyssey call, but he was still surprised when the director reached out to say he was working on something else:

And, of course, Damon eventually found himself back on set with Nolan and leading a production that’s massive in scale. The experience wasn’t easy, of course, as Damon even talked about being “wet” and “cold” for good portions of the shot. Nevertheless, the Good Will Hunting star also said he relished the opportunity to make such a grand film in a practical way. And, all the while, phones still weren’t allowed on set as fellow cast member Tom Holland previously confirmed.

What should be known, though, is that Christopher Nolan doesn’t impose that no-phone rule on his sets so that actors simply fall in line with his own habits. It seems he simply wants a focused team and, having seen the critically acclaimed The Odyssey myself, I’d say everyone was locked in. I’m not sure if Nolan himself will ever join the fray and get a phone or email address. But, as long as he can communicate with others as needed (whether personally or professionally), I’m here for him sticking to his no-tech ideology.

Check out The Odyssey, which is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey may trade laboratories and nuclear dread for monsters, gods and storm-tossed ships, but Jon Stewart sees a surprising connection between the filmmaker’s latest epic and his Oscar-winning book-to-screen adaptation Oppenheimer. And the link goes beyond both of their titles beginning with an “O.” After hearing the late show host's explanation, I am having trouble looking at Odysseus’ voyage as a simple adventure home, because Stewart makes some great points.

Jon Stewart Breaks Down His Theory About The Odyssey And Oppenheimer

During Nolan’s appearance on The Daily Show, Stewart admitted that his comparison might sound “far afield” before arguing that The Odyssey feels like a thematic sequel to Oppenheimer. Rather than connecting the movies through genre or plot, he focused on two men carrying the psychological weight of events that changed the world around them. Nolan’s response made it clear that Stewart had not wandered off course.

Stewart said the part of Oppenheimer that stayed with him was the burden J. Robert Oppenheimer must have felt after seeing what his work had created. He then connected that guilt to Odysseus returning from the Trojan War:

Nolan joked about avoiding “3,000-year-old spoilers,” but he otherwise agreed with Stewart’s reading. The director said Stewart watched his 2026 calendar release the way he intended and explained that his adaptation treats the Trojan War and Odysseus’ role in it with real “weight” and “gravity.”

Additionally, Nolan confirmed that the Cillian Murphy-led historical drama remained on his mind while making The Odyssey. The celebrated director said he tries to leave each project with questions he can continue exploring, adding that he “definitely brought Oppenheimer into this movie.”

That may be the clearest explanation yet of why Nolan followed a historical drama about the atomic bomb with his interpretation of Homer’s mythic poem. On the surface, the projects appear to be at opposite ends of Nolan's illustrious filmography. Beneath the spectacle, both appear interested in what happens after a man participates in something too large and destructive to fully understand.

Why I Think Stewart Is Onto Something

The comparison works because Odysseus is often remembered for the exciting stops along his journey. There is the Cyclops, the Sirens, Circe and a sea full of angry gods. Those episodes can easily turn the story into a greatest-hits tour of Greek mythology.

Stewart’s reading puts the wounded man back at the center. Odysseus is not merely delayed on his way home but is a soldier returning from a decade-long war, carrying memories of violence, lost friends and decisions that destroyed a city. Even the famous Trojan Horse (which got the popcorn bucket treatment) becomes less of a clever trick and more of a weapon whose consequences follow its creator.

That sounds very Christopher Nolan. Oppenheimer spends much of its runtime examining what happens after intellectual achievement becomes mass destruction. The Odyssey can ask a similar question through myth: What happens to the warrior after the war ends, and he's left with regret, while the songs call him a hero?

I also like that this connection made by Jon Stewart gives Nolan’s film a reason to exist beyond its scale. Real ships, giant sets and an entire film shot with IMAX photography are exciting, but emotional fallout could keep the movie from becoming an expensive mythology slideshow.

The Odyssey opens in theaters July 17.

Spoilers for Christopher Nolan’s take on The Odyssey are ahead! You can see the movie in theaters now.

As I counted down the days to The Odyssey’s release on the 2026 movie schedule, and reactions started to come out, I was surprised to see the word “horror” thrown around. I know there are objectively horrific events in this story. However, I didn’t expect parts of Christopher Nolan’s book-to-screen adaptation to feel like a legit horror movie. However, after seeing it, I can confirm it is actually scary at times, and there’s one scene that really got me.

The Scene Where Circe Turned The Men Into Pigs Is Terrifying

I knew the men would be turned into pigs when they encountered Circe. I’m familiar with The Odyssey. I also watched the last season of Percy Jackson with a Disney+ subscription and saw the kids turn into guinea pigs. So, I’ve always seen and imagined this part of the story where Circe turns the men into pigs as magical and a bit silly. So, I was excited to see how Nolan adapted this chapter of the tale. What I didn’t expect was to feel like I was watching a body horror sequence.

Now, early reactions to The Odyssey made note of how Christopher Nolan “embraces horror” in this film, as Erik Davis wrote. While I didn’t doubt that, I also didn’t anticipate Circe’s sequence to feel like a scene that should be in an upcoming horror film.

From the jump, I was unsettled by her island. Then, when she got the men to start eating, and she started turning them into pigs by pulling at their faces, I was legitimately covering my eyes. It was so slow, visceral, painful, gory and torturous, and I loved it. I also adored Samantha Morton’s performance. She made it clear why Circe was doing this, and it was unsettling to see her walk around the table and literally manipulate the men into pigs in such a haunting way.

I appreciated how they didn’t shy away from how tortured Circe is and this painful transformation process. So, while I was actively horrified watching the scene and could barely look at the screen, I also loved that I felt that way.

There Are Plenty Of Other Scary Moments And Jump Scares

Circe’s island was not the only horror-esque moment in The Odyssey, though. The other big one came in Polyphemus’ cave. The tension that built as the men tried to escape reminded me of the jaw-clenching anticipation I feel while watching a slasher.

Meanwhile, there were also plenty of very effective jump scares that had me clutching my heart. For example, during the Scylla and Charybdis bit, when Scylla showed up, I didn’t just flinch; I also audibly gasped.

The way Nolan and his team play with tension, anticipation, and effects helps make these moments creepy, and the performances of the actors help hammer home the horror of these chapters that create Odysseus's journey home.

So, to see all this for yourself and to get a good scare, you can watch The Odyssey in theaters now.

Spoilers for The Odyssey can be found throughout this article, and this comment is not a Trojan horse. Don't say I didn't warn you!

A lot of people like to refer to The Odyssey as a Greek tragedy. However, if you’re familiar with the original writing or have seen Christopher Nolan’s work, you should know it’s an Epic poem and not a tragedy. In fact, the 2026 movie release version has a happy ending, though the characters go through trials and tribulations in the years leading up to the end.

The one big question Christopher Nolan’s new Odyssey movie doesn’t answer is one fans have been asking as the movie premieres: What was Odysseus’ ultimate fate?

Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey Ends On A Hopeful Note … Sort Of

After cleverly constructing the Trojan horse and invading Troy, Odysseus (played by a very bearded Matt Damon) and his men are ready to return home to Ithaca. Eager to do so as quickly as possible, they take a less-trodden path, and it turns out to be a disastrous decision, at least for the crew. Odysseus’ men are picked off through various trials and tribulations, including a run-in with a Cyclops, succumbing to sirens, and angering a god after eating his sacred cows.

The god's anger causes the crew's ship to be broken apart, and Odysseus washes up alone, spending nearly seven years with Calypso (Charlize Theron) before he is ultimately able to journey back to Ithaca. Back home, he challenges and murders the suitors who had been sniffing around, reunites with his family, and reclaims his throne. He treaties with his wife Penelope and tells her of the horrors he feels are coming to mankind following the Trojan War, but says they will brave them together.

Nolan’s The Odyssey ends with Odysseus and Penelope (Anne Hathaway) literally sailing into the sunset, hoping to sail off and pay tribute to the ones he lost along his journey. I do love that the movie ends on a peaceful note after so much devastation (even though the boat scenes themselves were rough to film in this movie). It feels earned despite Odysseus’ worries about the age of man and what is coming ahead.

The Fate Of Odysseus And How He Dies, According To The Lore

Christopher Nolan’s movie does miss key points in The Odyssey, and its changes from Homer's work have been widely debated. In one change, Odysseus reunites with Penelope thanks to an icon he carried, when in Homer's work she asks him to move an immovable bed. In the poem, there’s another subplot similar to the one with Zeus’ cows in the movie in which Odysseus’ crew unleashes some wind from a bag that had been gifted to Odysseus to help them on their journey home. This is left out of the movie.

In a third example, we do meet Circe (Samantha Morton) in Nolan's film, but that storyline is stuffed into one day. In Homer’s work, Odysseus charms Circe, and he and his men stay on her island for a year. This is actually an important distinction for reasons that will become clear.

There was once another poem following The Iliad and The Odyssey that chronicled what happened next. It’s called The Telegony; it was not written by Homer, and it’s been lost to history. However, subsequent versions of Odysseus’ tale explain what is essentially the sequel to The Odyssey. In this version, Circe and Odysseus have at least one child together, a son named Telegonus (not to be confused with Telemachus, whom Tom Holland plays in Nolan’s film).

Telegonus grows up with Circe, and upon entering manhood, goes out into the world to seek his father. Various versions of the story exist after this. In one, a prophecy that he'd be killed by his son has made Odysseus an embittered and suspicious old man, one who’d sent Telemachus away thinking that child would be his undoing. Yet it’s Telegonus who appears and kills Odysseus.

In another, Telegonus raids Ithaca thinking he is elsewhere on the planet. Many versions of this story end with Telegonus killing his dad without realizing he’s killed the very person he was seeking. Odysseus’ fate is to die at the hands of a son he didn’t even know. This story is the one that is very much the tragedy.

So, I see why that’s not the note Nolan wanted to end on. Plus, given the movie's three-hour runtime, I don't think this movie could have realistically handled another storyline. However, if this version of the story piques your interest, Madeline Miller rewrote it beautifully in her novel Circe, a book I would very much recommend.

Ultimately, the way Nolan weaves his story gives us more than just many vivid set pieces. We really feel like we’re with Odysseus through this long and convoluted journey, and we’re rooting for him to get home. It’s complicated, of course. The man can’t just walk in and reclaim his fiefdom. His return is marred by violence, and he knows there are bad things still to come. But we want him to find his place with Penelope, and live out their dream of sailing off into an unknown future.

When it comes to movies, I don't think there's a better hype man for them than Tom Cruise. Known as one of Hollywood’s champions of the theatrical experience, he consistently encourages moviegoers to get their butts in front of their local screens. Now, he’s hyping Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster epic on the 2026 movie schedule, The Odyssey.

This film is one of the most anticipated of the year, and Tom Cruise was lucky enough to screen it in Christopher Nolan’s preferred format, IMAX 70mm. An in-demand ticket that broke the internet when it went on sale, due to the limited screens and high interest, getting to see this epic on the largest screen possible and on film likely added to the Mission: Impossible star's viewing experience. So, I totally get why he was all smiles in his Instagram post about the movie:

Tom Cruise could have just posted the photo, which speaks volumes on its own. But he also used words like “wow” and “amazing” to describe his theatrical experience with The Odyssey.

Not just one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Cruise is also a longtime producer, which means he has a deep understanding of everything it takes to pull off something on the scale of The Odyssey. While praising Christopher Nolan for what the film accomplishes to his more than 15 million followers seems obvious, it was nice to see the Top Gun: Maverick star also give a shout-out to Nolan’s producing partner and wife Emma Thomas, the cast, and the crew. Every film takes a village, and a film like The Odyssey takes an entire town to pull off.

Along with getting the word out about The Odyssey and hyping the release of his own upcoming dark comedy Digger, the A Few Good Men actor has a history of going to the theater to both see and shout out movies like this. While Cruise is known as an action star, he also has a proven track record of showing up to support big releases. To prove that, here's a list of titles he’s posted about in recent years:

• Disclosure Day
• The Running Man
• F1
• Sinners
• Twisters
• Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Not long before he praised The Odyssey, Tom Cruise took to Instagram to gush about Disclosure Day and pen a sweet message to his Minority Report and War of the Worlds director Steven Spielberg, as well as his Edge of Tomorrow co-star Emily Blunt. He both praised their work and showed appreciation for their friendship.

Cruise also attended the London premiere of F1 last year to show his support for his Interview with the Vampire co-star, Brad Pitt, in person.

Overall, the message behind these actions is always the same – if you’ve got a big movie hitting theaters, Tom Cruise will be there to hype it up.

His latest example of that is in honor of The Odyssey, which is based on Homer’s ancient Greek poem. The story tells the tale of Odysseus’ long and dangerous journey home after the Trojan War, and the mythical beings and family drama he faces along the way. When you have a cast the caliber of Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, among others, and you put it in the hands of a filmmaker like Nolan, movie magic happens. So, I can see why Cruise was so excited about it.

Much like the Top Gun actor, critics have been kind to The Odyssey. So, to see if the film lives up to the hype, you can catch The Odyssey in theaters now.

The Odyssey has been one of my most anticipated 2026 movies. That being said, I rolled my eyes at the runtime of two hours and 52 minutes after I got my ticket. Christopher Nolan’s latest film isn’t his longest movie – that would be Best Picture winner Oppenheimer – but objectively, that’s too long to sit in a movie theater. That is, unless the movie earns it. Well, did The Odyssey? I have thoughts.

Is The Odyssey’s Long Runtime A Problem?

Don’t get me wrong, some of the best movies I’ve ever seen are around three hours. But, right before I go out and see one, I get kind of stressed out. I usually like to get concessions for a movie like The Odyssey. Ugh, but when the moment comes when I have to use the restroom, it’s a tough call. I then have to make the decision to sit there in pain or try to figure out the right time when I can step away.

I’ll never forget when I went to see Dune: Part One. I ended up leaving to use the facilities when a certain character dies. It kind of messed up my first viewing. And then on the other hand, buying a premium movie ticket for something that ends up being both bad and long just sucks. Or, what if I end up sitting close to someone smelly or with a severe phone addiction?

There’s an easy fix for this. I think long movies need to have intermissions like they used to in the old days. Since that doesn’t seem to be on the table, I wince at long movie runtimes. In the case of The Odyssey, I’m very happy to report that I took no issue with it. Personally, I didn’t look at my watch until two hours into it, and the last hour was awesome. (Sure, it also helps that in-movie bathroom decision gods smiled on me that evening).

Personally, I wouldn’t have cut a single scene. If anything, I would have even sat through more! I’m thinking about going to see it again, and let me tell you, that’s very much a rarity for me to say these days. Critics have also been kind to The Odyssey, with the movie currently holding a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

What My CinemaBlend Colleagues Thought About The Runtime

As I mentioned before, a three-hour movie only works for me if it earns it. And, there was definitely enough within the pages of Homer’s The Odyssey for Nolan to adapt. Plus, he had to make tweaks to the source material to fit into one movie as is. I was curious about what my co-workers thought about the runtime. Here’s what a few of them said:

• “I love long movies when they are well constructed like The Odyssey. Because of the nature of the source material, the movie flows really well from scene to scene, and I don't think it drags at all.” - Hugh Scott, Syndication Editor
• “The Odyssey kept my attention for the entire 3 hours with its fast-paced storytelling and stunning visuals. If I had my way, it would have been 5 or 6 hours and split into two movies in order to more fully develop the side characters.” - Mack Rawden, Editor-In-Chief
• “I get why it's not two movies so that Nolan could end on a high note, but I thought the runtime was too long. I would definitely have taken two movies.” - Jessica Rawden, Managing Editor
• “I'm always wary of long movies; however, I didn't check my watch once watching The Odyssey. Those three hours flew by, and I was left wishing there was more time to dive even deeper into the story.” - Riley Utley, Weekend Editor

Of course, there’s a range of opinions here regarding the specifics, but overall I think we have a consensus: The Odyssey’s runtime works! If you, too, found yourself unsure about venturing to see it because of its length, I hope this helps reassure you it’s worth it. I know I would have appreciated knowing this before heading into it.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is just about to hit the 2026 movie schedule, and the excitement for the historical epic seems to be building. The hype seemingly rose when the first reactions to Nolan’s latest flick hit social media over a week ago and were filled with praise. Well, full reviews from the film are now pouring in from critics, and the overall verdict seems to be that Nolan has another masterpiece on his hands. Still, there’s one common issue that reviewers seem to have with the Matt Damon-led flick.

Of course, Nolan’s newest motion picture is based on Homer’s millenia-old Greek poem and, despite making a few changes (for which he’s received a dumb question or two), Nolan mostly seems to stick to the source material. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praises the British director’s take on the beloved story, calling it a “meditative action movie.” However, like some of his peers, Rooney makes note of some problems with the film’s “flow,” saying:

To be more specific, this “flow” refers to the film’s pacing, and this is a critique that’s occasionally come up with some of Nolan’s past films. The Oscar winner is well known for helming long movies that can drag in certain spots, even when they are compelling. In terms of Odyssey, Variety’s Guy Lodge also lauds Nolan’s take as being “thorough, robust and attentive both to scholarly detail and old-school moviemaking craft.” While Lodge also makes note of the thrills, he also makes another point:

As literary buffs will tell you, The Odyssey centers around Odysseus (Matt Damon), the King of Ithaca as he seeks to return home to his wife and son following the end of the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters great dangers, including gods and a cyclops that dwells in a “dank” cave. Famously, the story is told in a non-linear way, and The Associated Press’ Jake Coyle mentions that in his own review, which praises the book-to-screen adaptation as a faithful and impressive piece of work. Still, he also has nitpicks with pacing:

Likewise, Laura Sirikul of Forbes mentions that Nolan’s latest has “pacing issues” and that “Some parts felt like the scene dragged on longer than it should have”. However, Sirkul – like her fellow critics still has immense praise for what the Dark Knight helmer has accomplished with this take on Homer’s work:

Christopher Nolan fans who were already pumped about The Odyssey (in spite of any backlash) may be even more excited after seeing the early reviews. As of this writing, the film holds a 98% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and is certified fresh. So, while the film’s pacing may drag depending on your mileage, it sounds like audiences won’t regret taking in Nolan’s completely IMAX-filmed movie. Check out the film for yourself when it opens in theaters on July 17.

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey is sparking plenty of conversations, and that’s ironic, considering the film hasn’t even hit theaters yet. The past few months have seen some social media users dissect this take on the epic Greek poem. A portion of people have taken issue with some of the casting choices and have also been pointing out historical inaccuracies. When it comes to that latter section of discourse, there’s one particularly annoying question Nolan and co. have been getting, and he recently addressed it.

One of the main details audiences have been noticing in the Odyssey trailers has been the presence of contemporary language in this book-to-screen adaptation. The actors don’t speak in a pronounced dialect but in a way that’s similar to how modern people would speak. While that hasn’t really deterred the Nolan stans, others have been wondering why the characters talk as they do. The topic came up when Nolan and cast member Tom Holland appeared on Channel 4’s The Four Cast, and the director shared his rationale:

This makes a lot of sense, as Nolan’s goal was apparently to avoid cultural clichés while crafting the film. He’s certainly correct that there can be “cultural prejudice” and, in terms of movies and TV shows about ancient civilizations, that can result in depictions that feel inauthentic. Based on his comments, Nolan wasn’t aiming to overthink it and sought to go with something straightforward and relatable when it came to the language. That feels like a smart move to me though, even before hearing this take, I wasn’t annoyed by the dialogue.

Still, there seem to be those who still take issue with the way characters speak. While Christopher Nolan addressed this recent question in a classy way, it’s hard not to get the feeling that he’s somewhat tired of it. Tom Holland – who plays Telemachus – also seems to be slightly perturbed. During the chat, he was asked about his character saying “dad” instead of “father,” and Holland dropped a respectful, yet very cheeky, response:

The Spider-Man actor has a point there as well. Overall, the discourse surrounding The Odyssey’s dialogue feels unnecessary, and the same is true regarding other points of criticism. Nolan himself has taken it all in stride, though, and he previously mentioned Interstellar while explaining his approach to world-building in the period piece. More recently, the Oscar winner invoked his Dark Knight Trilogy to discuss the importance of blocking out external chatter and focusing on making the best possible adaptation.

So far, Christopher Nolan’s approach also seems to be speaking for itself, as early Odyssey reactions have been very positive. If you couldn’t tell, I’m looking forward to checking out the historical epic for myself and seeing what Nolan, Tom Holland and the cast and crew bring to this beloved story. And, if the film connects with general audiences, I’ll be eager to see whether the discussions revolving around the modern language persist.

The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17 and, in the meantime, read up on the movie along with other 2026 movie schedule entries.

With Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (which I'm eagerly anticipating) right around the corner, I thought it an opportune time to talk about Nolan’s other Odyssey movie - that being of the space variety, a.k.a. Interstellar.

While Interstellar isn’t exactly Nolan’s version of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, many would say that it’s just as ambitious in scope as what many consider to be Kubrick’s best movie. In fact, a lot of people consider Interstellar (which you can watch with a Paramount+ subscription) to be Nolan’s best movie, with this website even putting it at number one when we ranked his films.

However, even though I write for this website, I have NEVER been of the opinion that Interstellar was Nolan’s best. In fact, I genuinely think it’s one of his worst (though not as bad as Tenet), and for multiple reasons. Here are just a few. And yes, there are spoilers ahead!

I Always Found The Whole S-T-A-Y Scene To Be Predictable And Mawkish

There was a moment when I first saw Interstellar that was make-or-break for me. Early on in the film, Murphy, who is Cooper’s daughter, thinks there’s a ghost in her room. One such incident sees books knocked on Murphy’s floor, seemingly out of nowhere, and it spells out “S-T-A-Y” in Morse code.

Now, when I first saw this movie, I made a quick-time decision. In my head, I thought, this “ghost” is probably Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) communicating with his daughter from the future, because that’s a very sci-fi concept, especially when you’re dealing with time dilation, which I figured this movie was probably heading toward since it dealt with black holes. So, I was like, if this IS Cooper sending this message back to his daughter, I’m going to hate this movie because that’s really obvious. If it’s NOT what I predict, then this movie might have a shot at being good with me.

And…it was exactly what I predicted. Cooper found himself in a tesseract toward the end, and he was telling himself to stay and not go on this mission, which I found super mawkish and lame. I mean, one reason I used to love Nolan was that he was unflinching, and even cruel at times in his storytelling. The Prestige, which is my favorite Nolan movie, is fascinating, but also stark, with nary a maudlin moment. The same goes for Inception, which ends ambiguously, so we don’t know if it’s a happy ending or not.

Interstellar just feels…cheesy to me, and that’s not a word that I ever thought I would associate with Nolan until this movie.

I Genuinely Don't Like Any Of The Characters

Another problem I have with this film is that I don’t care about any of the characters. I usually like McConaughey, but Cooper is so bland in this movie, and I have no idea why. His children, who we see both as young (Mackenzie Foy and Timothee Chalamet), and as adults (Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck, respectively) don’t do anything for me, and I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t care if they die on earth or not. They just never moved me in any way.

Anne Hathaway plays a NASA scientist floating around with McConaughey, but I don’t find her interesting, even WITH her being the daughter of Michael Caine’s character, who I feel also isn’t interesting. Heck, I don’t even like Matt Damon as the, I guess you can call him the “bad guy” of the film (And get this. His name is Dr. Hugh Mann…Get it? Hu-man? Oh, brother). Damon appears late in the film trying to get back home (Hmmm…wasn’t Damon in another space movie like that?), and he fudges the numbers in order to get a lift back.

Look. I know Nolan isn't always on his A game when it comes to crafting interesting characters. Shoot, if it weren't for films like Memento, Insomnia, and Oppenheimer, I might even suggest that Nolan is kind of…lacking when it comes to characterization. Interstellar (and Tenet. Remember when John David Washington's character was simply known as…The Protagonist?) is still on another level when it comes to weak characters.

Which wouldn't be such a bad thing if this movie felt sterile and cold like 2001, but it doesn't. It's supposed to find the Hugh-Mann-ity (I’m sorry) in the vastness of space, and it just…doesn't. Not for me, anyway.

I Thought Nolan Somehow Made Even Wormholes And Black Holes Boring

When we first heard that Tenet was going to be about entropy, I was like, cool. I don’t really know what entropy is, but I know it has something to do with time travel since that’s what Primer was about, too…I think. Anyway, if Nolan used to do anything well in his career, it was to take these scientific concepts and make them interesting.

So, when we learned that black holes would play a significant role in Interstellar, I was game. I mean, Nolan made a dream machine cool in Inception, and he turned Batman on his pointy head with the Dark Knight trilogy by making it “realistic,” so I was looking forward to Nolan’s take on black holes.

Until I saw the movie, and was just bored by it. Yes, it pays to watch Interstellar on as big a screen as possible, but besides some of the visuals being kind of interesting, I think Nolan made black holes a little boring.

It’s a visual feast for the eyes, and, as my late mother once said, “Really cool if you were on something.” However, the wormhole and black hole scenes in Interstellar are just kind of…mid. I don’t know how else to put it. How Nolan made such cool concepts boring, I don’t know, but he did.

I Also Didn't Think Any Of The Planets Explored Were All That Interesting

There was this video game that came out a few years back called Starfield, and even though I didn’t play it, one complaint I kept seeing over and over again from critics was that there were so many planets (like, 1000 or something), but there was virtually nothing to do on them. They were just, like, there, and you could explore them, but why would you even want to?

Now, maybe this has been updated since its 2023 launch, but I get a similar feeling with Interstellar, as there are three planets that are visited - Miller’s Planet, Mann’s Planet, and Edmunds’ Planet - and they’re all even more boring than the last.

Miller’s Planet is the ocean one with the huge waves, and even though it’s cool that time goes faster there…it’s still just a water planet. It looks like something you might find on Earth. The same goes for Mann’s Planet, as it’s just a cold planet, which is dull. And then you have Edmunds’ Planet, which is another bland place, but this one seems suitable for habitation.

That’s it. Like the rest of the film, I’m just left underwhelmed, and this is made worse with a rewatch, as I already know how dull the planets are, so there’s nothing to look forward to. I mean, I don’t know. People love this movie so much, and I just don’t see what the big deal is. Hopefully the actual The Odyssey will be much better (and I’ve heard good things!), because Nolan’s space odyssey? This just ain’t it, man.

Anyone who knows anything about Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey or the epic poem it's adapted from, is likely aware it follows the dangerous journey of Odysseus, who tries to return to his home of Ithaca. To create that adventure for the big screen, Nolan and the crew had to film some massive and wild sequences. In fact, filming got so intense that some actors started “heaving up their breakfasts” during a ship scene, leading Nolan to drop a funny response.

One particularly grueling portion of the film shoot saw the actors being tossed in a longship. Nolan spoke about that experience with The Telegraph and, based on the vomit-based details, it doesn't sound like it was much fun. Nolan, for his part, didn't lose his signature wit even amid those trying times, though. At the time, he apparently asked the following question of cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema:

Such a funny reaction is so on brand for the Inception filmmaker that it hurts (though probably not as much as his actors were hurting in that moment). Seriously, though, it's Nolan's commitment to practical effects over CGI that makes his take on the vessel scene understandable. The man truly commits to his craft, and he expects the same from his collaborators, who he also strives to keep safe amid filming.

To that point, The Odyssey's actors were willing to go all in as well, as Nolan also recalled this other moment from filming his 2026 movie release:

I love how some of the Memento director’s favorite shots now come from that scene. Only a director as gifted as Nolan could channel seasickness into cinematic gold.

The material filmed on that rollercoaster of a vessel wasn’t the only challenge the Odyssey actors had to endure. Its lead, Matt Damon, spoke of the rough conditions he went through while filming, saying every day he was feeling wet, cold and hungry. However, Damon charged through and his since spoken about how grateful he is to have played the role. Calypso actress Charlize Theron also endured 30- to 40-mile-an-hour winds blew sand into her eyes but still stayed in character. And Corey Hawkins (who plays Polybus) had to walk up a mountain on his first day.

Even Nolan described what a “dank” mess it was filming a Cyclops scene in a real cave. But, despite the discomfort, the British filmmaker stood by his artistic choice to provide a true sense of realism to the scene, and it's that level of commitment that makes him one of the best directors of his generation.

Now, I'd like to hear a few actors speak about their recollection of the vomiting on the vessel and Christoper Nolan's A+ response. I'm not sure if they'd look on it so fondly but, given how gung-ho they were about shooting it, I'd imagine they can at least appreciate that they got the material Nolan needed. Now, dare to watch this stellar cast puking it up on a vessel when The Odyssey hits theaters and IMAX on July 17th.

With Christopher Nolan adapting Homer’s The Odyssey into a big-budget, IMAX-filmed movie, it was probably a given that people would nitpick the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation. After all, the source material is one of the most studied and analyzed works in literature. Nolan himself is aware of the comments people have been sharing across social media. With that, while discussing his 2026 movie release, he made some points about his Dark Knight Trilogy, which I agree with.

In terms of backlash, the final trailer for The Odyssey received 600,000 dislikes on YouTube. Businessman Elon Musk and social media users have critiqued the film for a lack of Greek representation. They've also taken issue with Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o being cast as Helen of Troy/Clytemnestra, transgender actor Elliot Page playing Sinon and rapper Travis Scott portraying a bard. With the film set in Ancient Greece, there was also criticism towards its historical inaccuracies, such as the use of the Viking longship, modern dialect and the use of American accents.

While speaking with The Telegraph, Nolan got real about knowing from the get-go that there would be criticism of how he adapted a 2,800-year-old piece of literate. Yet the Oscar winner also explained why he wouldn't pay the critiques any mind:

The Oppenheimer director makes an excellent point. As the film has yet to be released, audiences may want to abide by the common expression of “don’t judge a book by its cover.”

While it may appear rough for Christopher Nolan to have to endure early criticism of The Odyssey, this wouldn’t be the first time he’s had to deal with this from a book adaptation. For the Dark Knight trilogy, Nolan faced similar backlash when adapting Batman, and he explained what he learned from that experience:

Up to that point, portrayals of Batman were either campy and bright like that of the 1960s TV series or more gothic via the Tim Burton movies. The beloved comic book character went back to camp again in Batman Forever and the panned box office sequel Batman & Robin, which got a lot of hate from critics. So, needless to say, Nolan was just the latest person to put their spin on the Caped Crusader.

As Nolan stated during his interview, he didn't pay much attention to the chatter and simply decided to make the best movies he could. With that, he made an incredible interpretation of the DC Comics character by adding realism to Gotham City and by diving into the depths of Bruce Wayne's psyche. And, even though heartthrob Heath Ledger getting cast as Joker got initial backlash, he ended up being one of the best portrayals of the famed antagonist and a true standout of The Dark Knight. So it's understandable as to why Nolan has developed such a healthy approach to varying fandoms:

Nolan actually said it was actually through the comic book trilogy that helped him make The Odyssey by doing his best to make a “sincere” interpretation of fan-favorite, well-known characters. I'd like to think that approach paid off, at least based on the positive early reactions Odyssey has garnered thus far.

All in all, if commentators are already being skeptical of The Odyssey’s modern tweaks, they ought to look to The Dark Knight trilogy as an example that Christopher Nolan knows how to adapt material quite well. The man is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of our time, and I'd definitely argue that, at this point, he's earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his work.

Check out Christopher Nolan’s interpretation of Homer’s epic poem when The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17th.

Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is still a few days away from hitting the 2026 movie schedule, but for months it's been in the firing line for angry people on the internet. I know it’s best to stay out of the comment section, but sometimes I can’t help myself. It doesn’t take long when I do dip my toes in to see some of the major complaints that people have even before seeing the movie. I have to say, none of these are concerns of mine. I remain highly optimistic about this epic that is about to unfold for all of us seeing the movie next week.

The Casting Seems To Be The Focus Of Many Commenters’ Ire

There is no question that Nolan has assembled one heck of a cast. Matt Damon leads the movie as Odysseus. Anne Hathaway is playing his wife, Penelope. Tom Holland is playing Telemachus, his son. Joining them, we’ve got stars like Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton (who has apparently killed it with her performance), and Jon Bernthal, along with many others. It’s stacked. There are two or three cast members who have some people upset, and it makes no sense.

Lupita Nyong'o (Helen of Troy), John Leguizamo (Eumaeus), and Elliot Page (Sinon) have drawn the most wrath, and Travis Scott (playing a bard) has also taken some shots. Of course, it’s easy to see why these four have been in the firing line, and frankly, I think it’s all silly (and offensive, of course). The Odyssey is a myth. It’s not history. Historical accuracy should take a backseat to storytelling in this case. Helen of Troy wasn’t a real person, so why does it matter if the actress playing the character doesn’t look Greek or Spartan? Nyong'o certainly fits the description of being beautiful, and she is one of the most talented actresses in the world. That’s by far enough for me.

The Accents, Armor, And Ships Are Also Popular Complaints

The second most common whine is that the armor Odysseus and his men wear is not period-accurate. I’m all for historical accuracy in film; in fact, it’s often a deciding factor in whether I like a movie or not (I’m looking at you, Napoleon), but again, this is a myth. I don’t care that Damon and his cohorts are dressed in armor that doesn’t fit the age. That’s not the point of the story here. Let’s be honest, period-accurate armor looks rather ridiculous, and so making it look “cooler” is just fine by me. The same goes for the ships used by our hero and his men. Yeah, they look more like Viking ships than boats from ancient Greece, but again, this story is a myth, so why care?

Another popular refrain seems to be that all of the actors are using American accents in the movie, even the Brits. I have to say, again, why is this something people are mad about? They aren’t speaking ancient Greek in this modern telling of the myth, either. No one is upset about that, because everyone understands why the movie is in English, so what does it matter which accents are being used? Nolan apparently was looking for consistency, and so this decision makes total sense. This is seriously just complaining to complain.

Luckily for me, none of these creative decisions bother me in the slightest, and I can say that this is by far my most anticipated movie of the summer.

Next week, Christopher Nolan’s hotly anticipated The Odyssey is finally coming to the 2026 movie schedule. It is, of course, the director’s first film since 2023’s Oppenheimer, which not only blew up at the box office but also took home a slew of Oscars. That included Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan. It wasn’t a clean sweep, however, and Nolan’s son was all too keen to point that out his dad while the director was writing the script for The Odyssey.

Nolan Didn’t Win One Oscar He Was Nominated For

While Oppenheimer was nominated for an incredible 13 Academy Awards, it “only” won seven. Of the seven, Nolan won two. He was nominated for a third. As he was writing The Odyssey, which has so far been met with positive reactions ahead of its release, his son visited him in his office one day, as he related to the BBC:

Nolan had a very reasonable response to why he didn't want to have the Oscar statues in front of him, saying:

As any kid might be, he wasn’t impressed by Dad’s answer. Nolan admits:

Now, that is a roast! Sure, Oppenheimer was the most-awarded film of 2023, and Nolan took home his first two Oscars in his illustrious career. And sure, it makes sense that Nolan wouldn’t want to be constantly reminded of the pressure to create a fantastic follow-up to that. But neither Oscar was for writing (Cord Jefferson took home the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for American Fiction), as his son so eloquently pointed out, so why hide them? Only a family member could get away with such a burn, and Nolan clearly appreciated the barb.

The Pressure Must Feel Very Real

Christopher Nolan's films have been some of the best movies in Hollywood for decades now, and with each movie, his ambition and scope have grown. At the time, Oppenheimer seemed like the pinnacle of that ambition, but now comes The Odyssey. Adapting the epic has been an epic undertaking, by all accounts. It is the first movie shot entirely on IMAX cameras, for example. Not to mention the poem being one of the most beloved works in history, and a foundation of Western culture.

It’s easy to see just how daunting it would be and why someone would want to forget about past successes for the moment as he struck out on this epic journey, much like Odysseus does in the story. Also like Odysseus, Nolan has his family to keep him in check and grounded.

The global press tour for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey movie is in full battle mode, and can we talk about how much Charlize Theron is slaying every appearance so far? Because Zendaya is among the cast, she’s often the center of attention for every red carpet and photo call, but I’m loving the specific flair Theron is also bringing to the scene.

I’m still not even over Theron turning up at the world premiere in London by pairing a black dress with over-the-top gloves, and she’s now there's already another gorgeous moment in Paris to talk about. Check it out:

OK, this is too good. I’m in love with this lace gown from Dior that may not count as method dressing, but is definitely giving "goddess". Theron shared the dress with the caption “Mama’s not dead yet”. Here’s another peek at the stunner of a premiere ensemble:

Charlize Theron is somehow 50 years old, and heading toward 51 in less than a month, but she redefines what being middle-aged can look like. A few of her celebrity colleagues took notice as well in the Instagram comment section. Here’s how they hyped her up:

• Jennifer Lopez: "You are killing it 🤍"
• Ariana DeBose: "Very much alive🙌🏾"
• Misty Copeland: "🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾"

Theron plays the role of Calypso, who is a nymph, which is a type of goddess in Greek folklore. In The Odyssey, the character famously keeps Odysseus captive on the island of Ogygia for seven years while he’s trying to return home to his family after the Trojan War. Odysseus actor, Matt Damon, recently complimented Theron on her attitude on set when he worked with her on the big-budget film, calling her someone who “won’t complain, ever” and “seriously tough”.

Clearly, Theron is embracing the sultry and powerful energy of the famed character for the press tour, and I don’t doubt she’s got even more epic things lined up to wear as she continues to promote the movie with the cast.

Theron deserves some flowers for her press looks, but so does the entire star-studded cast of The Odyssey. Zendaya has also been in goddess mode, between wearing a flowy dress and emulating a marble statue with a white corset at the London premiere. The movie features an extensive leading cast of ladies, also including Anne Hathaway as Odysseus’s wife Penelope, Lupita Nyong’o as both Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra and Mia Goth as Melantho.

Since The Odyssey has been screened by a select group of audiences, the movie has been earning a lot of rave first reactions for its massive scale, performances and adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek work. You can see Theron and the rest of the cast in The Odyssey when it hits theaters next Friday, July 17.

Christopher Nolan is known for assembling talented ensembles for his films, and that’s also the case for The Odyssey. The historical drama boasts a cast consisting of A-listers like Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron. Based on the first reactions to Nolan’s latest film, the stars give stunning performances. As it turns out, though, one particular cast member of the book-to-screen adaptation earned a standing ovation on a Nolan set since The Dark Knight’s Heath Ledger.

Given the sheer amount of star power within The Odyssey’s stacked cast, it’s easy to imagine just about every one of the main actors generating applause on set. What’s ironic, though, is that the star who got the crew to start clapping is someone who hasn’t been seen in the marketing all that much compared to their co-stars – Samantha Morton. Nolan recently spoke to The L.A. Times about the surreal moment, and the anecdote gives me chills:

Morton plays the juicy role of Circe, and those who’ve read The Odyssey likely know the character is a goddess who inhabits the island of Aeaea. In the story, the powerful witch ensnares Odysseus’ crew with her magic, and he must use his wits to outsmart her. Of course, Nolan doesn’t give any context for the scene that generated that applause. Regardless, given her performances in fare like Jane Eyre, Minority Report and Morvern Callar, I’m not surprised at all that she would impress those on the set.

From an acting perspective, being compared to Heath Ledger is a major badge of honor. Ledger was a multifaceted performer, who gave great performances in a wide range of films, like Brokeback Mountain, A Knight’s Tale, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and 10 Things I Hate About You (for which he beat out 253 actors). However, Ledger’s finest performance arguably remains his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, for which he posthumously won an Oscar. Off the top of my head, I can think of several of Ledger’s scenes that would’ve generated applause on the set.

More recently, it’s also been sweet to see Christopher Nolan shower so much praise on his Odyssey actors. Sure, Nolan has gently trolled Damon and Holland, but he’s also lauded them and the likes of Hathaway and Zendaya for their performances and commitment to their roles. What’s more ironic is that this all comes long after Holland thought he thought he was messing up on set. That confusion on the actor’s part actually stemmed from his unfamiliarity with the way IMAX cameras work.

I’m pumped to see Nolan’s newest movie for myself, and I’ll certainly be checking out the IMAX-filmed feature the way it was meant to be seen. Now, thanks to Nolan’s anecdote about Samantha Morton, I also have more reason to be hyped for the film. Best believe my eyes will be peeled for her scene(s) and, if it’s as great as teased, I’ll do my best not to stand up and clap while I’m in the theater.

The Odyssey opens in theaters nationwide on July 17th alongside other 2026 movie schedule releases. In the meantime, anyone who wants to see Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, can stream the film using an HBO Max subscription.

Christopher Nolan is not exactly known for handing out praise like Halloween candy. Part of his public image is built on precision, intensity and the sense that getting a simple “good” from him on set might feel like winning a tiny acting Oscar. So when Zendaya apparently earned a “perfect” while making the forthcoming The Odyssey, Matt Damon and Tom Holland were in their feelings. What I did not see coming was Nolan trolling them this hard.

Damon has worked with the prestigious filmmaker multiple times, while Holland is joining the director’s orbit for the first time in the upcoming 2026 movie release. Apparently the director’s praise for Zendaya became a talking point on set. Rotten Tomatoes shared a clip from Fandango’s Big Ticket interview on Instagram, where Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Matt Damon and Nolan sat down to discuss the new movie. During the conversation, the cast brought up Nolan’s praise for Zendaya’s performance as Athena in The Odyssey. You can see the post below.

The setup here comes from Damon, who previously talked about what it was like to work with the Oppenheimer director and how rare that kind of praise apparently is. According to the writer and star of Good Will Hunting, Nolan is not a director who showers actors with excessive praise. A “good” from him means you did the job. A “great” sounds like it might require paperwork. So when Zendaya got “perfect,” Damon and Holland were basically left staring at each other like two kids who just found out someone else got extra recess.

The Rip performer summed up the jealousy pretty beautifully. He said:

That is such a specific actor complaint, and I love it. Damon is an Oscar-winning performer who has been in some of the biggest movies of the last few decades, and yet here he is, spiritually pacing the set because Zendaya unlocked the rare Nolan achievement badge. Holland apparently joined him in the grievance, which makes the whole thing even better. Imagine two major movie stars comparing report cards while the young Dune actress is off somewhere being Athena.

Then the Oscar-winning filmmaker was asked which scene of Zendaya’s had earned the “perfect,” and this is where the whole thing becomes glorious. He could have answered seriously. He could have named a specific scene, talked about the emotional weight of the moment or given some thoughtful director explanation. Instead, he delivered this:

For the Euphoria star, that is an enormous compliment. She is playing Athena, which is already a pretty intimidating assignment, and hearing Nolan speak about her performance that way is no small thing. The role puts her in the middle of one of literature’s biggest stories, surrounded by a massive cast that includes Damon, Holland and a whole fleet of major names.

Of course, this is not where the auteur filmmaker left things. He continued:

Okay, the Dark Knight director has jokes. Everyone is laughing, but it must be quietly devastating, because Nolan does not even have to raise his voice or wink at the camera. He just calmly says Zendaya was always perfect, which means Damon and Holland’s entire complaint gets launched into the sun.

For Damon and Holland, though, this is now part of the behind-the-scenes lore. They can keep chasing that “perfect,” but Zendaya already seems to have the crown, which makes me even more excited to catch her performance in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation.

The British-American moviemaker has also emphasized that The Odyssey is the first feature film to be shot entirely in IMAX. So if that format is available near you, it may be worth grabbing a big ol’ Trojan horse popcorn bucket and seeing it on the largest screen possible.

The Odyssey hits theaters July 17, so check your local listings for showtimes.

We’ve been waiting for this one, guys. We’re now less than two weeks away from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey hitting the 2026 movie calendar — the director’s first project since Oppenheimer — and he literally couldn’t have chosen a more epic tale. First reactions are here for the fantasy flick, which comes with a staggering runtime and massive budget. But by these critics’ accounts, Nolan fans should start getting excited.

So what are people saying after catching early screenings of The Odyssey? Critic Perri Nemiroff says Christopher Nolan expertly weaves the story together to make you feel like you’ve experienced a significant portion of the characters’ lives. Her X (Twitter) post continues:

David Ehrlich of IndieWire notes that The Odyssey is “less despairing” than the Academy Award Best Picture winner from 2023, and despite some druthers, it’s a ride worth going on. In Ehrlich’s words:

Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture wrote an epic reaction of his own on X, praising Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland’s performances. He also writes that this level of storytelling is rare and deserves to be honored. The post reads, in part:

Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm gives his stamp of approval, and while calling The Odyssey’s cast list lengthy would be an understatement, Mathai casts his vote for the most impactful performance, writing:

For critic Simon Thompson, it was two other actors — in addition to Matt Damon — to draw praise in a movie that he calls “flawless filmmaking.” He says:

Clayton Davis of Variety notes some of the tweaks Christopher Nolan made to the source material, calling out even more of the movie’s stars like Robert Pattinson and Samantha Morton as he declares The Odyssey “another hit for Nolan.” His post reads:

Erik Davis says everyone gets a chance to shine, though Robert Pattinson steals the show for him. Overall, Christopher Nolan’s latest is “the must-see cinematic event of the summer -- and quite possibly the year,” Davis says, writing:

I mean, if those first reactions don’t get you pumped for this movie, I don’t know what will. We’ll learn more when full reviews come out, but these comments are promising to read in the final days before the movie’s release.

Tom Holland's already done a lot of big movies throughout his career, but working with Christopher Nolan on an epic on the scale of The Odyssey is a whole different beast. It'd be intimidating for any young actor and, while he got an early boost of confidence, he also got rattled when shooting a scene. Holland thought he was disappointing Nolan during the shoot, but it turned out there was something else at play.

Holland spoke about his experience working on the upcoming 2026 movie release during an interview with Fandango. After recalling an early scene with his MCU co-star Jon Bernthal that gave him confidence, Holland remembered feeling uneasy when Nolan frequently cut his scenes mid-performance. He said:

I can imagine that Christopher Nolan shouting "cut" three minutes into a scene would devastate any actor, especially if they felt they were in the zone. Holland had amassed a lot of reverence for Nolan and the way he runs his sets, so it had to be devastating to think he was letting him down.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case. While they may create great images (and make for snazzy-looking popcorn buckets), IMAX cameras have one downside, and Tom Holland didn't know that. As the star recalled:

It seems like after the Spider-Man star was filled in, he had a wave of relief crash over him -- one that was harder than the ones that shipwrecked Odysseus during his journey in The Odyssey. Fortunately, Holland didn't let Christopher Nolan down, and he plays a sizable role in the R-rated historical epic.

In the movie, Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus (Matt Damon) and Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway). Telemachus has grown into a man in his father's absence and is burdened with protecting his mother from suitors who seek to step in and take over the land.

It's likely that a portion of readers are vaguely familiar with The Odyssey, which is often required reading in high school in the United States. Admittedly, I only remember the part with the Sirens and the Cyclops, but I'm sure more of it will come back to me once I'm watching it on a big screen with my Trojan Horse popcorn bucket.

With an all-star cast lined up, The Odyssey is poised to be a cinematic spectacle, and it could draw people to cinemas. This production has "prestige film" written all over it, and I'm already wondering if it'll net some serious awards later this year and in 2026. It'll be interesting to see if it lives up to the hype.

We don't have long to wait to see how the movie does at the box office, as The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17th. I'm still hoping to see the movie in IMAX opening week but, whenever I see the film, I'll definitely have Tom Holland's story about the IMAX camera in mind while watching his scenes.

Anne Hathaway’s massive year continues this month, with The Odyssey being the latest of her many 2026 movie releases on the way. Notably, the historical drama also marks her third time working with Christopher Nolan. But did you know the circumstances of Hathaway's first audition for Nolan? It revolves around a funny misunderstanding the actress had about what role she was auditioning for in The Dark Knight Rises.

It goes without saying that auditioning for a director like Nolan is no small feat, and Hathaway wanted to ensure she was prepared when they met for his final Batman film. Here’s what the actress recently recalled about how it went:

Now, Anne Hathaway isn’t alone in meeting a filmmaker for a superhero role she didn’t know about. A similar thing happened to the likes of Brie Larson for Captain Marvel and Paul Rudd for Ant-Man. But, in Hathaway’s case, she was under the impression that Nolan was looking for a Harley Quinn, and she dressed accordingly.

As she recalled to Happy Sad Confused, there was an the awkward moment when the filmmaker told her what role she was auditioning for, and the reveal led to her instantly change up her demeanor to adapt to it. In her words:

Hathaway says she thinks her misreading of the role actually “worked in [her] favor,” because Selina Kyle is “a chameleon”. I’d be so curious about Christopher Nolan’s recollection of his first meeting with Anne Hathaway for The Dark Knight Rises but, ultimately, she obviously made a good impression, considering she got the part!

Hathaway's hiring ended up being the first time an actress played the role of Catwoman in a live-action Batman movie since Michelle Pfeiffer’s version in 1992. Then, it wasn't until Zoë Kravitz played Selina Kyle in 2022's The Batman alongside Robert Pattinson’s version of the Caped Crusader that there was another big-screen Catwoman after the Devil Wears Prada star.

Hathaway may have been wrong about Harley Quinn at the time, but she was right about Warner Bros. wanting to bring the comic book character to life in a DC film. It was just four years later when Margot Robbie debuted her Harley Quinn in David Ayer's Suicide Squad.

For the time being, the current schedule of upcoming DC movies doesn’t officially include the return of Catwoman or Harley Quinn. However, I hope it won't be too long before these fan-favorite femme fatales come back somehow. For now, we’re excited to see Anne Hathaway reunite with Nolan to play Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, in The Odyssey, coming to theaters on July 17.

Robert Downey Jr. has worked with enough filmmakers that when he starts comparing directing styles, I am going to listen. This is an actor whose career has taken him from his father’s underground film world to John Hughes, Richard Attenborough, Shane Black, Jon Favreau, Guy Ritchie, Christopher Nolan and, soon enough, back to the MCU for a new Marvel movie where he'll play Doctor Doom. So, when he casually drops a Clint Eastwood story about “calling action” while talking about how different movie sets operate, my ears perk up.

RDJ was recently asked what it was like working with Nolan on Oppenheimer. Instead of jumping straight into the usual praise, he backed into the answer by mentioning legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood, and the detail is one I had never heard before. He explained during an interview with Conversations for Our Daughters:

That is such a fascinating little detail about the A Fistful of Dollars star. Calling “action” is one of the most basic pieces of film language. Even people who have never been near a set know that rhythm: quiet on set, roll camera, action. It's practically baked into how most people imagine movies being made.

Yet, according to the Iron Man actor, Eastwood avoided it because he did not like the hard line it created between regular human behavior and performance. Interestingly, Downey does not appear to have worked with Eastwood himself, but this is clearly one of those Hollywood stories that has made the rounds, even if it was new to me.

The story makes sense for Eastwood, whose screen persona has often been built on economy. As a director, he has a reputation for working quickly, keeping setups simple and bringing films in under budget and on schedule. If you are trying to get actors into something natural, maybe a shouted command is not the cleanest way in, especially if they may only get one or two passes at the material.

Downey then used that thought to pivot to Nolan, whose approach sounds different but is similarly stripped down. He continued:

That description lines up with the Nolan lore that has built up over the years. His sets have a reputation for focus, discipline and very little wasted motion. Tom Holland, who worked with Nolan on The Odyssey, has also talked about how the director runs a set and how that experience influenced the attitude he brought to the making of the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The Avengers star went on to say Nolan “abhors waste” and “craves efficiency,” but he also made an important distinction. To Downey, Nolan’s style is not about avoiding chaos entirely. He continued:

The Chaplain actor also compared working with Nolan to working with “a good parent,” aka someone who will not let you get away with nonsense but who wants you to succeed. That might be my favorite part of his answer, because it explains why an actor of his stature would seem so eager to give himself over to that environment.

Both Nolan and Eastwood, at least in Downey’s telling, seem suspicious of unnecessary noise. During Eastwood's career, he avoided the big “action” command because it interrupted the delicate shift into performance. Meanwhile, Nolan strips away anything that does not belong in front of the camera because waste gets in the way. Two iconic filmmakers, two very different methods, and one surprising shared instinct: protect the moment.

RDJ returns to Marvel in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to hit theaters Dec. 18. As for Eastwood, he worked well into his 90s, though his family has indicated he is likely done making movies. His final acting and directing effort appears to be 2021’s Cry Macho. And honestly, after seven decades in show business, the man has more than earned the right to fold up his director’s chair.

Christopher Nolan is famous for being a “serious” director. He is responsible for his Oscar-winning direction of Oppenheimer and for one of the best superhero movies ever, The Dark Knight. He also has a reputation for being incredibly particular about how he makes films, from insisting on theatrical experiences to shooting projects like his upcoming 2026 calendar release, The Odyssey, entirely on IMAX cameras. And I'm not even getting into those alleged chair bans on set. Basically, it should come as no surprise that his script's security has a bit of cinematic weirdness, too. According to Jessica Chastain, he only sends his actors red scripts.

In an Instagram video shared by director and photographer Aidan Tanner, Jessica Chastain broke down some of her marked-up scripts from Interstellar and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. She confirmed one of Nolan's behind-the-scenes habits: he sends his actors red scripts. The choice was originally meant to prevent copies from being made, but now it's also seemingly just his thing.

As the Zero Dark Thirty star flipped through the script in the clip, she paused to point out the small countermeasure the filmmaker takes to protect his stories.

Talk about a Christopher Nolan detail that obviously feels both practical and slightly absurd in the best way. Red paper makes a script harder to photocopy clearly, which helps protect the story from leaking. It also makes the object itself feel special, almost like a classified document from some secret film bunker.

For a movie like Interstellar, streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, I get it. Nolan’s best films often depend on carefully controlled information. The audience is not supposed to know too much too soon. Whether he is bending time, hiding a reveal or letting a character’s emotional arc snap into place late in the story, the experience is built around discovery. A leaked script could ruin some of that before the movie ever reaches theaters.

Still, what I love most about Chastain’s clip is that it quickly becomes less about Nolan’s secrecy and more about her acting process. The red script was the flashy piece of trivia, but the markings were where the real work was happening.

She explained the changes she made to a scene in the 2014 sci-fi thriller, Interstellar:

Chastain was not just reading the script as written and treating every direction like a commandment. She was adjusting the dialogue so it sounded more alive to her. She was crossing out emotional instructions because she did not want to pre-plan the moment too tightly. That little “Starts Crying” note says a lot. Some actors might use that as a target. She saw it as something that could get in the way.

There is also a funny contrast here. The Prestige filmmaker can do everything possible to keep a script from being copied, passed around or spoiled -- though as Cillian Murphy wryly noted to 60 Minutes in a separate Oppenheimer interview about the red scripts, "But I don’t know who photocopies in 2024." Once that script reaches an actor, he or she seems willing to let it become something more personal.

The red pages show how carefully the moviemaker protects his stories, while Chastain’s notes show how an actor helps make those stories breathe. Good filmmaking needs both sides of that equation: a director protective enough to guard the vision, and wise enough to give collaborators room to explore it.

Christopher Nolan’s next big film, The Odyssey, lands in theaters on July 17.

Matt Damon has made it very clear that filming The Odyssey was not an easy feat. He’s gotten real about the rough conditions they worked in, and one time, he told a story about how his co-star, Charlize Theron, acted through “30-to-40-mile-an-hour wind.” Now, the actor and the film’s director, Christopher Nolan, have recalled what it was like to shoot the cave scene, and they described it as “pungent” and “dank” (oh, and it involved a “curtain of bees”).

Now, those familiar with The Odyssey know that a major sequence involves a cyclops and a cave. So, to pull that off in his book-to-screen adaptation, Nolan used animatronics and puppetry to bring the cyclops to life, and they filmed in a legitimate cave. That cave is what we’re going to really focus on, as the director provided quite the description of it while speaking with Empire:

Well, that sounds scary and quite stinky, which I guess aligns with the things the men in The Odyssey would feel and smell when they entered the cave Polyphemus was in.

In real life, this location is actually called Nestor’s Cave, and it’s in Messenia, Greece. And according to Nolan, by filming in it, they were able to get a “sense of reality” in this film that features fantastical creatures.

However, while filming in the cave brought realism to the project on the 2026 movie schedule that will likely really enhance the experience on the big screen, it sounds like it was quite uncomfortable for the team to work in. That’s because, along with it being “dank and smelly,” there were also “thousands of bees” at the mouth of it, as Matt Damon recalled:

If I were in that cave, I’d 100% have screamed. However, it seems like these guys worked through it, and you will be able to hear the bees in the movie. So, when The Odyssey is released in theaters, maybe keep an ear out for some extra buzzing when they’re in that cave.

Now, while I kind of love that we will be able to hear the bees, I’m very happy smell-o-vision isn’t a thing. The last thing I want to smell is that “dank” and “pungent” cave.

However, I do have mad respect for Nolan, Damon and their crew for bearing the elements, the bees and the smells of that cave. The Oscar-winning director learned from The Dark Knight that it’s important to have “gone to the mat” for his movies, and it’s clear that he’s putting in that level of work and commitment on The Odyssey. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates to the big screen when this epic premieres on July 17.

When I think of Christopher Nolan, I picture the serious, Oscar-winning director who made Oppenheimer and one of the best superhero movies ever, The Dark Knight. However, he also simply loves films and filmmaking. So, as we prepare for the release of The Odyssey on the 2026 movie schedule, we got to see the director’s fanboy side as he showed the film’s IMAX popcorn bucket to his cinematographer.

While most popcorn buckets tend to be themed to the actual plot of a movie, and The Odyssey does have one shaped like a Trojan horse, it also has one that looks like an IMAX camera. For context, Nolan’s book-to-screen adaptation of this epic was filmed entirely on IMAX film cameras, and it was the first movie to ever be shot that way. So, I gotta say, it makes a lot of sense why the director geeked out over the camera-shaped bucket like this:

In this video posted by Reece Feldman, you can see Nolan hand his long-time cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema the popcorn bucket. The pair have worked together on Oppenheimer, Tenet, Dunkirk and Interstellar, all of which used IMAX cameras during production. So, I totally understand why they were so giddy about the camera meant to hold popcorn.

Plus, even without their personal connections to this container, it’s just cool. If you look in the viewfinder, you can see a frame from The Odyssey. On top of that, the container itself is very slick and features the IMAX logo in lots of places. All around, this popcorn bucket feels like a film lover's dream.

However, it’s probably extra special to Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. That’s because their relationship with IMAX goes beyond shooting with its cameras. Along with that, the director and cinematographer have actually worked with the company to develop new cameras. So, yeah, bring on the fanboying.

I think it’s safe to say that I’ll never forget how happy they both were as they looked over the box and joked about eating popcorn out of it while looking through the viewfinder.

Now, if you are looking to get your hands on the $50 IMAX Film Camera Popcorn Bucket, they are sadly sold out. However, while there’s currently no word on a restock, The Odyssey doesn’t come out until later in July, so I’d keep an eye on IMAX’s site for updates.

Meanwhile, it’s time for us to start fanboying and girling about the movie this bucket was made for. The Odyssey will be released on July 17, and it stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and many more. In true Nolan fashion, he’s assembled a stacked cast to tell an epic tale, and he's captured their performances in a big way. So, I think you’ll want to try to see it on the biggest screen possible and enjoy it with a side of popcorn in a camera-shaped box if you can.

Christopher Nolan movies have been known to push the envelope across a number of production departments, and I expect as such with his upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey. But, one area we don’t talk about enough is the number of unconventional movie scores Nolan movies have had. And some interesting details have just come out around The Odyssey’s own music, and what Christopher Nolan didn’t want for it.

Christopher Nolan's Request For The Odyssey Score

The Odyssey’s score is composed by Ludwig Göransson, who just received his third Academy Award at the 2026 Oscars for his Sinners score. The Swedish composer has been rolling with Nolan on his past few movies starting with Tenet and their last collaboration being on Oppenheimer. Here’s what Göransson had to say about what it was like working with the beloved filmmaker for The Odyssey:

When it comes to sword-and-sandal flicks like The Odyssey, the only way I imagine the score sounding is with a traditional orchestra. So, I totally get why Christopher Nolan wanted to challenge that norm with his own take on the genre. It must have been a bit daunting to Göransson to hear this at first... but then again he's made some rather groundbreaking scores in his career already. As he added:

Ludwig Göransson got his start doing pretty expected scores on the comedy series Community, but has since made some of the most memorable themes in the past decade for the likes of Black Panther and The Mandalorian. It certainly sounds like he rose to the occasion this time as well.

How Ludwig Göransson Made The Odyssey’s Music Unique

So what can we expect from The Odyssey score? Ludwig Göransson said he got some great ideas from Nolan with these words:

Now, this is the kind of ingenuity that makes Christopher Nolan and Ludwig Göransson some of the most celebrated talents in the business! The composer decided to do some research on the types of instruments that were popular during the Late Bronze Age. After he went down the rabbit hole, two of the main instruments used on the film’s score ended up being the aulos (pictured above) and the lyre. They actually used literal bronze as well. You can check out more behind-the-scenes about The Odyssey in the YouTube video below:

The Odyssey already feels like one of the most anticipated 2026 movie releases of the summer, but then tidbits like this come out, and my excitement only grows. I know I’ll be appreciating the score even more once it hits theaters on July 17 now that I know more about the story behind it.

It remains to be seen whether Christopher Nolan’s book-to-screen adaptation of The Odyssey proves to be yet another cinematic masterpiece from the acclaimed director. At the very least, though, what is clear now is that the film is a further testament to Nolan’s ability to land top-tier talent. Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong'o and Charlize Theron are just a few of the A-listers Nolan pulled. Also a part of that ensemble is Robert Pattinson and, before signing on, he was the only star to ask a very obvious question.

Considering Nolan’s body of work, it’s not hard to understand why he’d be able to attract such a high class of actors. Pattinson has now had the pleasure of working with Nolan on two occasions now, as he previously collaborated with him on Tenet. Pattinson has since spoken highly of his experience making that 2020 sci-fi thriller. So, when the Batman star was approached by Nolan for Odyssey, he was enthusiastic. Yet, as Pattinson explained to GQ, he threw Nolan for a loop with one particular comment:

Pattinson apparently being the only member of The Odyssey’s ensemble to ask Nolan about the script makes me chuckle, and that request is significant due to how extensive that cast is. As much as this funny little behind-the-scenes factoid is to me, this also makes sense when it comes to Pattinson. Over the last decade, the British performer has taken on some interesting films, like Good Time, The Lighthouse, The Boy and the Heron and Mickey 17.

Based on the acclaim Robert Pattinson received for some of his more recent roles, it seems he’s been good at picking projects. So I certainly won’t critique his thoughtfulness upon being approached to be in Christopher Nolan’s latest movie. As for his role in the historical action drama, Pattinson plays the slimy Antinous, who attempts to court Penelope (Hathaway) while she awaits the return of her husband, Odysseus (Damon), following the Trojan War. Pattinson’s involvement not only marks a new collaboration but also a reunion with Zendaya, with whom he worked on The Drama and the Dune: Part Three.

Speaking of Zendaya and other stars who appear in The Odyssey, I can completely understand their willingness to sign on so quickly. The film marks Nolan’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning historical drama, Oppenheimer, and it’s based on one of the most engrossing epic poems ever written. From a technical standpoint, Nolan is also pushing boundaries on the IMAX front, as his latest feature has been shot entirely on the format.

So, to sum this up, we have a talented filmmaker, an epic story as the basis and a technologically ambitious set-up. Keeping all of that in mind, I can’t imagine many actors not leaping at the chance to join such a project without checking out the screenplay first. Pattinson’s mention of the script during his early chat with Nolan, though, just further solidifies him as one of those stars who’s cerebral when it comes to the jobs he takes on.

I look forward to seeing what Robert Pattinson brings to The Odyssey, which opens in theaters on July 17 as part of the 2026 movie schedule. For now, check out some excellent Pattinson films that prove he’s far more than a certain sparkly vampire he played so many years ago.

When I theorized about what The Odyssey’s popcorn bucket could look like, I pictured a ship or maybe a battle helmet. I did not picture what they’ve actually gone with. However, the more I think about this project on the 2026 movie schedule and the work Christopher Nolan has been doing with IMAX cameras, the choice they’ve made for their popcorn box is actually so fitting.

Now, this new popcorn bucket that will come out to celebrate The Odyssey’s release actually has nothing to do with the story. However, it has everything to do with how the movie was made. It’s famously known that Christopher Nolan’s newest film was shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. So, naturally, the popcorn bucket for this movie is an IMAX film camera. Take a look:

Nolan shot over 2 million feet of IMAX film for this movie, and he deemed the IMAX 15/62 Camera “the Gold Standard.” He’s used this camera on The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Oppenheimer, and, of course, The Odyssey. So, it feels very fitting that it's being used as the film’s popcorn box.

Notably, this camera bucket is more than just a bucket; it also lights up, and when you look in the viewfinder, you can see a frame from The Odyssey!

Again, this choice makes a lot of sense, because The Odyssey is a historic movie for IMAX. It's the first feature film to ever be shot exclusively on IMAX film cameras, and it used both the original cameras as well as a new one that was “developed in close collaboration with Christopher Nolan and Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema.”

Also, there’s so much hype around the IMAX release of this movie that it only feels right to make a popcorn bucket that’s shaped like a camera. I remember when Nolan’s last movie, Oppenheimer, came out, there was so much fanfare around seeing it in 70 mm IMAX, and a ticket to one of those showings was a hot commodity. I assume the same thing will be true for The Odyssey, as this tale is even more action-packed and epic.

This camera bucket isn’t as wild as elaborate as the castle they’re releasing for Masters of the Universe or as cute as the Yoshi popcorn bucket that came with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. However, it is very, very on-brand with its project, much like these other memorable popcorn buckets have been.

Plus, this box totally fits in with Christopher Nolan’s brand. The technical aspect of making his movies is always focused on, and it’s clear that they really pushed the boundaries with The Odyssey. So, I’m thrilled that they are using an IMAX camera-shaped popcorn bucket to celebrate the release of this book-to-screen adaptation of Homer’s epic.

Now, to get ready for this epic release of The Odyssey, you can buy your tickets now and learn more about the popcorn bucket on IMAX’s website. Then, get ready for July 17, because that’s the day Christopher Nolan’s latest movie will hit the big screen.

I knew people marveled at the way Christopher Nolan made movies, and it’s clear actors really admire him and want to work with him. What I didn’t realize was the impact his productions have on the other projects his stars work on. That all became very clear to both me and the internet, though, as Tom Holland revealed how he was able to “lay down the law” on Spider-Man: Brand New Day after working on The Odyssey with Nolan. However, while all this is admirable, it also led to the internet dunking on Marvel.

What Tom Holland Told Spider-Man Producers After Working On The Odyssey

With both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey being released in July on the 2026 movie schedule, Tom Holland has made it very clear that Nolan’s film helped improve his upcoming Marvel movie. During an interview with GQ, he revealed that because he was filming The Odyssey, Marvel had time to hire Destin Daniel Cretton as director and further develop Spider-Man’s next story. He called all this “a tough pill to swallow for Sony”; however, he noted that in hindsight everyone is “grateful that it happened.”

He then spoke about how working with Nolan made him realize something about his work with Marvel:

Over the years, people have spoken about it being tough to make a Marvel movie. For example, The Marvels director said it was challenging because there was a “lack of a really solid script.” These films can also go into production without finished scripts; in fact, Avengers: Endgame was done that way.

So, witnessing Nolan's preparation, speed and efficiency impacted how Holland worked on Spider-Man 4. In fact, he came into Brand New Day with a new mentality that he used to “lay down the law”:

Holland went on to say that Cretton was “instrumental” in helping him do this. He also said he was in consistent communication with producers at Sony, and he’d talk to them about what he learned on The Odyssey and how it could help them with this Spider-Man project, telling them:

Overall, it sounds like Tom Holland’s work on The Odyssey really helped him when it came to making Spider-Man: Brand New Day the best it could be. However, along with these comments came messages from folks who are dunking on Marvel.

Now, People Are Dunking On Marvel

Now, after hearing Holland speak about how his work with Nolan compared to his work with Marvel, people are criticizing the studio. Many have said they think the actor’s comments were justified, and it highlights a flaw in the process used to make superhero movies. For example, @DanFriedman81 wrote, in part:

Lots of other people also took this as an opportunity to criticize Marvel’s ways of making movies. Complimenting Holland’s comments and noting how it could impact the MCU, folks wrote:

• I’m dead he walked on that Spider-Man set mad as hell and said yeah we’re changing how we do things around here 💀 -@artinventcr
• Love this. Basically rejecting The Feige Method. The times, they are a changing… -@robertliefeld
• I’m crying he told Marvel they gotta lock in😭 -@DarkOfTheMovie
• If we still have Spider-Man in the MCU and if all the good vibes about Brand New Day end up being true, we'll have to thank Tom Holland a lot. -@HatmadLives

Along with Holland’s comments here, he’s also been open about critical conversations he and Zendaya have had that led to big scene changes in Brand New Day. While he’s been direct about the fact that the film could be better, it’s also clear he has put in the work to make this Spider-Man movie great. It sounds like we have his time on The Odyssey to partially thank for that too, because he made it very clear that working with Nolan changed the way he worked on his new Marvel movie.

So, to see how all of this impacts the films in question, you can see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in theaters on July 17 and Spider-Man Brand New Day will swing into cinemas on July 31.

There are a lot of exciting titles on the 2026 movie schedule, especially for this coming summer. However, few titles, however, have been drumming up as much buzz as Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The historical drama's is so stacked that it feels like everyone has worked together at some point. Yet one particular reunion that's not being discussed as much is getting me hyped for the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, and it’s not one of the ones you might expect.

I feel like everyone is talking about how Tom Holland and Zendaya are appearing together for the fourth time via this film, or how Robert Pattinson and Zendaya are collaborating again after just working together on The Drama. Christopher Nolan is also reuniting with familiar faces like Elliot Page and Anne Hathaway, which is causing a lot of chatter. However, no one seems to be mentioning that Matt Damon and Charlize Theron are reuniting for the film as well, and Theron had some lovely things to say about getting to work with him again. She told Elle:

Based on what's known about The Odyssey, filming it was no easy feat. Nolan's stars e experienced some pretty harsh conditions, especially Matt Damon. The leading man has been open about being wet and cold for most of the shoot, and it sounds like things were pretty rough for Theron as well. Theron plays Calypso, a divine nymph who detains the hero Odysseus (Damon) on her island, Ogygia, for years. Based on her storyline alone, it sounds like most of her scenes are with Damon, and I personally can’t wait to see this chemistry on the big screen again.

For context, Theron and Damon first worked together 26 years ago on The Legend of Bagger Vance. The film sees them play former lovers who come back together when Theron’s character invites Damon to compete in a golf competition.

While Bagger Vance isn’t the most memorable entry in their respective filmographies, it’s a pretty fun watch, and the two of them have great chemistry. The Mad Max star clearly has fond memories of her experience working with the Boston-born actor, and ecstatic that they'll be sharing the screen again.

With such a huge cast, there’s a laundry list of reunions in The Odyssey in addition to the ones I previously mentioned. Cast members Benny Safdie and Robert Pattinson have worked together before, as have Jon Bernthal and Tom Holland. But, personally, this Theron/Damon connection feels like an underrated one. They have both had full careers since The Legend of Bagger Vance, and getting to reignite this working chemistry in a new context after they have both grown as actors is something truly special.

Also as a literary nerd, I have to say the Calypso storyline is one of the most interesting in The Odyssey. So I can’t wait to see how it plays out with these two powerhouses.

You can see Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, and the rest of the starry cast in The Odyssey, which hits theaters on July 17, 2026. Fans of the pair can also watch The Legend of Bagger Vance, which is now streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

The Odyssey is a Greek epic, so it should come as no surprise that Christopher Nolan didn't make his adaptation on the upcoming 2026 movie schedule brief. It appears the runtime may have leaked for the star-studded blockbuster. And if this runtime of somewhere between two hours and forty minutes and two hours and fifty-two minutes is accurate, readers might want to have their bathroom breaks and snack selections sorted out beforehand.

News comes from Reddit, which shared a screenshot from AMC's website showing two different runtimes. It's wild to say twelve minutes feels like such a monumental difference, but it feels like the difference between a standard Marvel movie and a three-hour affair in this instance. That being said, is this really that unexpected from a cinematic legend like Nolan? I had to investigate and prepare for what to expect ahead of The Odyssey's release date.

How Does The Odyssey's Runtime Measure Up To Other Christopher Nolan Films?

Assuming the longest leaked runtime for The Odyssey is accurate, it would be the second-longest movie Christopher Nolan has directed. Coming in a handful of minutes short of Oppenheimer's runtime, which feels appropriate given both are heavier serious movies.

If it's the lesser runtime, then it's only Nolan's fourth longest movie, with Interstellar and The Dark Knight Rises sliding in front of it. It's odd to think about, because I feel like both those movies feel longer/shorter to me on their own, and I think it'll come down to how much action we get versus dialogue. The only thing we know for sure is that Nolan believes he put his best work into it, so maybe the movie will fly by in any case.

It'd Still Take Longer To Read The Odyssey If It's Any Consolation

The Odyssey might have a long runtime, but for those who might be tagging along with a friend or significant other griping about the runtime, just remind them that it'd take much longer to read the book. HowLongToRead.com clocked it at taking six to seven hours to read in its entirety, depending on your reading speed.

I would say this is the case with most book-to-movie adaptations, and honestly, not a huge talking point. Of course, the same could be said about the runtime of The Odyssey. Because at the end of the day, isn't a good movie as long as it needs to be? Ultimately we're all just hoping it lives up to the hype and prestige that Christopher Nolan is known for. I'm just hoping it measures up to the amount of IMAX film used to shoot it, because otherwise, that's more money potentially down the drain.

Hype remains strong in the film world for The Odyssey, and I'm sure speculation is already underway about how many Oscars it'll be nominated for. The bar is high for it to clear, and while we have no way of knowing if this cinematic epic will clear it, we do have two potential runtimes!

The Odyssey is in theaters on July 17th. As we eagerly wait for its release date, I'm loving the stories from the set, including Tom Holland and Matt Damon being jealous of the compliment Zendaya got from Christopher Nolan.

As we head closer to the middle of the summer season, we’re getting more excited for Christopher Nolan’s take on The Odyssey joining other highly anticipated 2026 movie releases. While seeing what the director does with the classic epic unquestionably excited, so does the massive cast. And, apparently working with Zendaya particularly impressed Nolan – somewhat to Damon and Tom Holland’s chagrin.

Matt Damon gave Zendaya her flowers for playing the role of Athena in The Odyssey. As he shared, when it comes to working with Christopher Nolan, the director doesn’t give out compliments left and right to actors on set, but for Zendaya that was a different story. In his words, per Elle:

According to Damon, who has worked with the filmmaker on two other movies previous to The Odyssey Nolan will often react to a take with “Yep, good. Okay” if he thinks an actor nailed it, but with Zendaya she got a rare “perfect.” The Odyssey also said this about the actress:

Zendaya had the chance to play the Greek goddess while in the middle of shooting the third season of Euphoria and also prepping lines for Dune: Part Three. In the new profile, Nolan also gushed about Zendaya, saying she balanced her multiple roles with “this sense of true grace and poise”. He called the 29-year-old a “true movie star” and “an incredible actor” as well.

Aside from The Odyssey starring Damon as Odysseus, Holland as his son Telemachus and Zendaya as Athena, the movie also stars Anne Hathaway as Odysseus’s wife Penelope and Robert Pattinson plays Antinous. Lupita Nyong’o plays the dual role of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, Charlize Theron is Calypso, Jon Bernthal is Menelaus, Benny Safdie is Agamemnon, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, among other big names.

Given Nolan’s last movie Oppenheimer won Best Picture and was a big box office hit, expectations are high for The Odyssey and Nolan said he’s been feeling a “massive amount of pressure” over adapting the beloved epic. It’s certainly no wonder why Nolan would choose Zendaya to star in the movie after her incredible track record as of late in movies like the Spider-Man, Dune films, or smaller hits like Challengers and The Drama. This year alone, the actress is in a total of four movies, along with starring in Euphoria.

You can see Zendaya slay in The Odyssey when the movie comes to theaters this July 17.

I think of myself as a fairly literate person. So, of course, I've read Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey.

That's why, when it was announced that Christopher Nolan's next project was an adaptation of the story, I had a pretty good idea of what we would be getting, as to how far one can deviate from such a classic tale. Then, I saw the first trailer. And the cast listing. I thought, wait, maybe I DON'T know what this movie will be like, because the vision I initially had in my head was not what I was seeing with every tidbit of information.

Which puts me in an interesting spot. As somebody who loves the original story, I didn't know what I thought of this new interpretation. The longer I've sat with it, the more I've come to love Nolan's tweaks to the story. Here's why.

Can I Just Say That I'm In Love With This Casting? And Yes, All Of It

Here's a thing that I think everybody should know, but I feel I have to remind people of: OPINIONS CANNOT BE “WRONG.” THEY ARE JUST OPINIONS. Believing otherwise would denote them as facts, which they are not. They are just somebody's personal feelings. So, when Elon Musk makes statements against Lupita Nyong'o playing Helen of Troy, you may disagree with him (I certainly do), but it doesn’t mean he's “wrong.“ That's just what he feels. As The Dude would say, “Yeah? Well, you know. That's just like, uh, your opinion, man.”

It is MY opinion that Lupita Nyong'o, who I think is beautiful, would make for an amazing Helen of Troy. Not only that, but I love that Nolan is pulling a Michael B. Jordan dual role by having Nyong'o play both Helen and her sister, Clytemnestra. That, I would say, is inspired casting. I also dig the possibility of Elliot Page playing Achilles (as we still, as of this writing, don’t know who Page is playing). Yes, people, today like to think of Brad Pitt from Troy as the best Achilles, but I think Page would be a pretty rad take on the figure. It's certainly different.

John Leguizamo as the blind Eumaeus is another interesting choice. Plus, Travis Scott as a bard is just the icing on the cake. It's not like Nolan hasn't worked with Scott before, as the latter was in Tenet. So, if Nolan thinks the rapper works in the role, then I'm all for it.

Remember, many people initially thought that Heath Ledger wouldn't work as The Joker, and look how that turned out. So, let Nolan cook!

I Like That Elements Of The Fall of Troy Are Also Being Represented

Here's something people may not know. The Trojan Horse is never mentioned in The Odyssey's precursor, The Iliad. Like, at all. It is mentioned in passing in The Odyssey, but the Trojan Horse, which is often the key iconography in the fall of Troy, is not in The Iliad. Instead, it’s in Virgil’s The Aeneid. This is because Homer’s The Iliad doesn’t reach the end of the war, so we don’t get to see the Trojan Horse.

That said, we do see in the trailer that there are flashbacks to the fall of Troy, as well as the aforementioned Trojan Horse, and I really like this aspect of the film. The Iliad and The Odyssey are two very different epic poems. The Iliad is more of a war story and valor. The Odyssey, however, is a more fantastical story with witches, cyclops, and monsters, etc.

The melding of these two poems, even if only through flashbacks, will give The Odyssey an interesting tone that I’m looking forward to. I’m also interested to see how some of these characters fit into The Odyssey. For example, Benny Safdie plays Agamemnon, who is in the Underworld in The Odyssey, but very much alive during the war. So, I’d love to see those scenes from The Iliad and The Aeneid play out.

I have so many questions, and I hope the movie delivers when it comes to representing the other poems.

I’m Also Perfectly Fine With The Characters Speaking In Perfect English If It Makes The Story More Accessible To A Broader Audience

I’ve never really liked Mel Gibson as an actor, but I do love him as a director, and one of my favorite movies that he directed is Apocalypto. Aside from being a great chase movie, it is cool because the entire film is spoken in Yucatec Maya (I also think it’s cool that The Passion of the Christ is spoken in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew).

I like antiquity and accuracy. I also really like reading subtitles (Sub will ALWAYS be better than dub). However, another controversy (outside of the casting) that I’ve seen online for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is that the actors speak in English with American accents - including the English actors like Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson! I’m sorry, but is this really a problem? I love reading, and I would have no problem if the actors in this film spoke in ancient Greek or whatever, and we got subtitles, but I am NOT your typical moviegoer.

In fact, most people I talk to haven’t read a book in years, and don’t want to read it. Hell, if they did, they wouldn’t even need to watch The Odyssey because they would have already read it. That said, for The Odyssey to have the broadest appeal possible, I think it should be in English. Also, since Matt Damon is the star, I’d much rather he speak normally rather than having to adopt an English accent just to match some of the other actors’ speech patterns. The Odyssey is a really wonderful story that’s been told for literally thousands of years, and if this is somebody's introduction to the story, then so be it.

In other words, I don’t want accuracy or subtitles to be a barrier to entry. Sure, maybe characters shouldn’t be shouting, “Let’s go!” as they charge into battle, but modernizing The Odyssey doesn’t seem like the worst thing in the world to me, which brings me to my last point.

Hopefully, Nolan Can Do For This Epic Poem What He Did For Batman, Which Is Give It A New Approach

Was Batman the character dead before Batman Begins? Of course not. Batman is bigger than the movies. That said, was his cinematic presence on life support before Batman Begins? Probably, because even though I love it, a lot of fans thought Batman & Robin was pretty much the death knell for Batman's character on screen, given how silly it was.

Then, Nolan revitalized the character with Batman Begins, and Batman was cool again.

My point is that The Odyssey is a classic story, and it's been adapted before. Even so, I think it'd be boring if it were just the same story retold, and I'm hoping that Nolan can put his particular spin on it.

So far, I like what I see.

Of all the titles that make up the 2026 movie schedule, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is easily one of the most talked-about entries on it. Not all that buzz has been totally positive, though, as some Internet users are already sharing gripes with the film ahead of its release. Up until this point, Nolan has pretty much let the footage of the film speak for itself, but he’s now weighing in the critiques. In doing so, he even mentions Interstellar, and I really appreciate the thoughtful point he makes.

A portion of people complained following the release of the first Odyssey trailer near the end of 2025, noting details that they believed to be historically inaccurate for the Greek epic. The costumes worn by some of the characters as well as the accents the stars used for their performances were just some of the elements that stirred up debates. Nolan discussed the viral chatter while participating in Time’s cover story about his latest film. The British director specifically mentioned Interstellar to illustrate his approach to world-building:

Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi epic may be about the future as opposed to the past like The Odyssey, but he presents some sound logic here. As mentioned in the article, the public’s knowledge of the Bronze Age comes from “very fragmentary archeological records.” With that, creative liberties needed to be made, so it would make sense for Nolan to try to fill in gaps where needed as he did with his astronaut drama. On top of that, let’s remember that while that space film has been critiqued, it’s still considered to be one of the best Nolan movies.

In regard to The Odyssey, the armor worn by Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) has been heavily discussed, with some history aficionados arguing against its dark and glossy finish. Nolan went on to explain the practical reasons for that costume’s look as well as the weapon designs:

What it sounds like is that the Dark Knight helmer isn’t exactly trying to lean heavily on just the Bronze Age to inform the aesthetic for his film. On that note, he also shared the following sentiments:

Based on Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey chronicles the journey of Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, who braves extreme dangers to return to his family in Ithaca after the end of The Trojan War. Nolan has apparently pulled out all the stops for this film, as he’s not only shot it solely with IMAX cameras but also put a firm emphasis on practical effects. Matt Damon previously noted the rough conditions, but he also expressed his appreciation for Nolan’s old-school filmmaking approach.

I’m certainly not one to bet against Christopher Nolan, so I won’t be critiquing The Odyssey until it hit theaters on July 17. Should the film be as engrossing and epic as the trailers and TV spots suggest, I think any concerns that some viewers have about historical accuracy will fall by the wayside.

Christopher Nolan has seemingly taken on the impossible by adapting Homer’s The Odyssey, which follows Odysseus' long, dangerous journey to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Not many directors would even attempt to put such a story on the big screen, but Nolan seems up for the challenge. The film is set to release in July, and the difficult shooting process is finally behind Nolan and The Odyssey's cast. Now, Nolan is opening up about the project, specifically what he learned from making the Dark Knight films that prepared him for this endeavor.

The British filmmaker recently spoke with The Associated Press for its Summer Movie Preview. It was during the chat that Nolan revealed he was well aware of what he was up against when he decided to adapt The Odyssey. Of course, this isn't his first rodeo, as he also made three films about Batman, one of the most iconic figures in pop culture. While talking about his latest feature, Nolan shared how his experiences making the DC Comics-based movies impacted his latest filmmaking experience:

At the core of Christopher Nolan's comments appears to be the notion of wholeheartedly committing oneself to the subject matter, and that makes sense. Fans are quite savvy and can certainly tell when a creative team is only half-doing something. To that point, it goes without saying that Nolan definitely didn't hold back with those Caped Crusader movies, especially 2008's The Dark Knight. So good on the Oscar winner for seemingly diving deep to ensure his newest movie pleases those who've long enjoyed Homer's epic poem.

Of course, just because Nolan was able to lean on his Dark Knight experiences as reference points while working on Odyssey, that doesn't mean he still didn't feel the pressure. As he explained:

The Odyssey is considered to be one of the best stories ever committed to text, with hundreds of translations existing. Adapting it is no easy feat, however, based on the initial trailers for Odyssey, Nolan pulled out all the stops for this book-to-screen adaptation. Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus in the film, also has been candid about the brutal shooting process and how Nolan’s desire to use real locations and practical effects make the film more grounded and real. If anyone can faithfully adapt this story for the big screen, I'd say it's Nolan.

In short, Nolan isn’t just making another blockbuster, he’s taking on a centuries-old hero's journey. If his reflections are any indication, he isn’t going into this by trying to reinvent the story, but honor the text and the characters in the most authentic way possible. He did this with The Dark Knight series, making the classic Batman story his own but also paying homage to the comics. Even though Odyssey is arguably a bigger feat, this shows he knows how to adapt something beloved, and I have high hopes this will be yet another cinematic masterpiece.

See Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey when it hits theaters on July 17, 2026. Fans of the director can also revisit his critically acclaimed film Dark Knight trilogy now with a HBO Max subscription. Also, for more information on other exciting titles heading to cinemas and streaming this summer, make sure to consult the 2026 movie schedule.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise that's constantly expanding thanks to new releases in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Arguably the most anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is The Russo Brothers' Avengers: Doomsday, which will feature Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU as the villainous Doctor Doom. And when explaining why he's back, he surprisingly dropped Christopher Nolan's name.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but RDJ's involvement is enough to have fans excited. He's returning to the shared universe after taking home an Oscar for Oppenheimer, and during an appearance on Conversations for our Daughters, he addressed this career choice. He also referenced Charlie Chaplin, offering:

That reference is on brand, given how Downey played the title character of Chaplin. And it sounds like he wanted to join the cast of Avengers: Doomsday partly because of the way his career has morphed over the years. Now he's got an Oscar, and he's rejoining the MCU as it's also been greatly changed. Speaking as a fan, I can't wait to see him go from hero to villain in the next Avengers flick.

Later in that same conversation, he went on to drop Christopher Nolan's name, referencing his Oscar-winning turn in Oppenheimer. It sounds like the process of working with the Inception filmmaker helped to inspire his decision to return to Marvel. In the actor's words:

While Robert Downey Jr.'s Marvel career originally ended with Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Doomsday, it sounds like the wild success of Oppenheimer convinced him to dip his toes back into the shared universe. And after Jonathan Majors was fired as Kang, that's exactly what the franchise needed.

What exactly he brings to his new villain character will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. With the multiverse in play, it seems like just about anything could happen, and fans can't wait to see him back in the MCU.

If you were following the press tour for The Dark Knight Rises back in 2012, you probably remember how much of the conversation around Anne Hathaway centered on her transformation into Catwoman. Unfortunately, the questions tended to drift in one very specific direction: her weight. In one now-infamous moment, an interviewer flat-out asked, “How much weight did you lose?” It clearly caught her off guard, even if she handled it like a pro. Now, years later, she’s opening up about why that question bothered her, and why she’d approach it differently today.

In a clip shared by People, Hathaway revisited that moment, explaining that her preparation for the role had far more to do with getting physically ready for the demands of the part than with losing weight. She said:

At the time, Hathaway was stepping into one of the most high-profile roles of her career, working under director Christopher Nolan and joining a franchise that was already under a microscope. Following the release of The Dark Knight, a film many fans considered the best superhero movie of all time, expectations were high for the conclusion of the Nolan Dark Knight trilogy. Every detail was being picked apart, from the costume to the performance to, apparently, her body.

From her perspective, though, the focus was off. Instead of highlighting the training and strength it took to pull off Catwoman’s stunts, the conversation kept circling back to weight loss. That’s the disconnect she’s pointing to years later. It wasn’t just the question, but what the question assumed going in.

The viral press moment also speaks to how much things have shifted over the past decade. There’s a lot more awareness now around how often actors, especially women, are asked about their bodies, and how those types of questions are handled.

Hathaway’s comment about knowing how to “navigate that much more easily” today really says it all. In that now-infamous moment, the Ella Enchanted star tried to laugh it off, joking, “You did not just ask me that question! What a forward young man you are. My goodness… ‘How much weight?’ … I worked very hard to become Selina Kyle.”

Catwoman wasn’t a role that worked because the actress was thinner; instead, it was built on agility, control, and strength. It was built on her ability to move, fight, and hold her own in a physically demanding environment. That’s what Christopher Nolan asked Anne Hathaway for, and that’s what the Princess Diaries actress was actually doing as she got more svelte for the role.

Now, with some distance and a different perspective, she can look back on that moment with more clarity. It’s also something she seems to be actively addressing in the projects she has more control over. Case in point, recent reports that she pushed for more size diversity among models on the set of The Devil Wears Prada 2 after noticing the lineup skewed toward more traditional body types.

Anne Hathaway has a packed 2026 movie schedule, with roles in A24’s new horror movie Mother Mary and a return to the fashion world in The Devil Wears Prada 2, hitting theaters on May 1. She also collaborated with the Dark Knight Rises director for the third time on Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey, hitting theaters on July 17.

It’s easy, in hindsight, to look at Interstellar as one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies, if not his most emotional film. It’s one of his works people bring up now when they talk about how deeply his flicks can hit, the one that leaves audiences quietly wrecked by the end credits. But that wasn’t exactly the narrative when it first came out. Apparently, there was a brutal critique Nolan received “anonymously’ when the film hit theaters back in 2014.

During a recent Q&A, shared via the Nolan Archives YouTube channel and held at AMC Universal CityWalk as part of a “Timothée Chalamet Live” retrospective presented by Cinematheque screening, Nolan reflected on the Interstellar's original reception. And buried in that conversation is one of the more blunt critiques he’s ever gotten. He explained:

It’s a pretty surgical critique and a common criticism I remember in the movie fan ether of the time. Honestly, it's a criticism that still follows the director to this day. What’s interesting is that Nolan doesn’t dismiss it outright. Instead, he frames his space epic almost as a response to it.

According to the Dark Knight visionary, the emotional core of Interstellar wasn’t an accident but the reason he signed on in the first place. Responding to a question from Chalamet about the film's growth in popularity and reevaluation, the director responded:

That part is especially interesting. Nolan isn’t saying audiences weren’t ready for Interstellar as a movie so much as they weren’t ready for him to make that sort of movie. Coming off films like Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy, which some still consider one of the greatest superhero trilogies of all time, there was a certain idea of what a Nolan blockbuster was supposed to feel like. Interstellar is huge and brainy, sure, but it’s also achingly sentimental in places.

For some viewers, that clicked immediately, especially if they had kids. For others, it clearly took time but, if they weren't clicking Interstellar on release, they have found new reasons to appreciate it. To Nolan’s credit, he seems at peace with that now. He added:

The Oppenheimer helmer's measuring stick wasn’t an immediate consensus, but whether the flick truly reached people, and clearly, it did. If anything, Interstellar’s long afterlife kind of proves his point. It’s become one of those films that has only grown in stature, even making our list of best sci-fi movies of all time.

If I’m being honest, when I caught the film in theaters back in 2014, I left feeling underwhelmed and considered it one of my least favorites of his movies. I haven't really returned to it since. But, after hearing Nolan and Chalamet talk about the movie and its reevaluation over the years, I think it's time for me to give it a second shot. Luckily for me, I can catch it streaming with my Paramount+ subscription.

So yes, somebody once branded Nolan as the guy who made “cold films.” Interstellar now feels like the film that quietly, and pretty definitively, disputed that argument. Even if his movies feel a bit too clinical at times, it's clear the man behind Memento, Inception and yes, even Interstellar, is anything but cold.

Christopher Nolan is known as one of the greatest defenders of the theatrical experience working today. He makes big movies designed to be seen on big screens. He also watches movies, including his own, on those big screens, even if that means he has to visit his local theme park in order to do so.

A clip is going viral on X that shows Christopher Nolan walking through the Universal CityWalk at Universal Studios Hollywood. Walking by the great director would certainly be a noteworthy experience for many, but it’s the added context for why Nolan was at CityWalk that makes the whole thing really interesting. It’s not because he wanted to stop by Voodoo Doughnuts or get a milkshake from the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium (I mean, he may have done that, too). It’s because of the the IMAX screen at the AMC theater.

Apparently Nolan isn’t visiting the theater because he wants to see Project Hail Mary in IMAX. He’s working, and he's using the theater’s IMAX screen to view the latest cut of The Odyssey as it moves toward its release later this summer. The Odyssey is a Universal Pictures production, so it makes sense Nolan would be in the area since the theme park is attached to the studio and a big part of the draw, and he might want to use the closest IMAX screen on hand.

Although that may not be the only reason he was in Universal CityWalk. Project Hail Mary co-director Phil Lord actually responded to the post, calling the CityWalk AMC IMAX the best in the area. He wrote…

I’m not sure I ever really thought about the fact that your average studio screening room probably doesn’t have an IMAX screen. So if you want to be able to see what your movie is really going to look like on a screen that size, and make any adjustments needed to improve it, you just need to go to an IMAX theater.

I’ll be honest, I would never have guessed that the best IMAX screen in Southern California was at the Universal CityWalk, but a quick search confirms that the Universal CityWalk AMC is one of the handful of theaters with 70MM IMAX film projectors, so it’s understandable why Nolan, who filmed all of The Odyssey with IMAX cameras, would want to see the movie that way.

As a theme park junkie who finds himself at Universal Studios Hollywood now and then, I’ll certainly be on the lookout for a good reason to check out an IMAX movie there in the future. I’ll also be on the lookout for Christopher Nolan and any other directors.

It’s fair to say that Ryan Coogler has more than carved out his path as a filmmaker within the Hollywood landscape. While the 39-year-old filmmaker only has five films under his belt, the titles that make up his filmography – like Black Panther and Sinners – have left indelible marks on pop culture. Despite his immense success, though, Coogler is always eager to give credit to others for how they’ve helped him. Among those to lend a hand has been Christopher Nolan, who bestowed some truly sweet advice upon Coogler.

During a segment on Criterion’s “Closet Picks,” Coogler affectionately referred to Nolan as a “mentor,” and he hasn’t held back about discussing the Oppenheimer helmer’s impact on his life and career. Coogler’s relationship with Nolan came up again when he participated in a panel with co-producer Sev Ohanian at Bloomberg Screentime (shared on YouTube). When asked about words of wisdom he’d received from Nolan, Coogler didn’t mention lenses or other technical details. Instead, he discussed something a bit more personal:

Christopher Nolan has been working with his wife, Emma Thomas – his producing partner – for years now, and they’ve seemingly built a strong working dynamic on top of their marital relationship. Likewise, the past few years have seen spouses Ryan and Zinzi Coogler working alongside each other under their Proximity Media banner. It’s been lovely to see the Cooglers work together, and I’m glad Ryan took that sweet piece of advice to bring his wife into the fold business-wise – and those two have a lot to be proud of as of late.

The Cooglers co-produced Ryan’s critically acclaimed vampire drama, Sinners, which has been much-discussed since it was released in April 2025. As of late, both Zinzi and Ryan have been promoting the movie amid awards season, and it has picked up quite a few honors. Most notably, the movie leads the 2026 Oscar nominees with a record-breaking 16 nominations. That’s a tremendous accomplishment, though I find it even sweeter given that it was partially due to the efforts of a skilled power couple.

Of course, now, I’m particularly excited to see what the Cooglers do next. It’s public knowledge at this point that a third Black Panther movie is on the way, so I expect they’ll work closely on that. Ryan also recently shared his desire to make a romantic comedy, and I’d be so down for that. Whatever happens, though, I’m just hopeful that the Cooglers will continue to collaborate on films like good friends Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas.

Check out the fruit of the Cooglers’ labor, Sinners, now by streaming it with an HBO Max subscription. Also, to see if the film brings homes the gold, watch the 2026 Oscars tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ABC (or stream it live with a Hulu subscription).

Timothée Chalamet loves Interstellar. Literally, he’s obsessed with it – in fact, Kylie Jenner surprised him with a screening of it for his birthday. However, hilariously, not everything about that experience was fantastic for him. He made that clear while talking to Matthew McConaughey about the Christopher Nolan flick, too, as he revealed the nasty prank the lead actor played on him.

While Interstellar is by no means the movie Chalamet is best known for, because he plays a very small role in it, he speaks about it a lot with a ton of reverence. He proved that once again during an event for CNN and Variety, where he talked with Interstellar’s lead, Matthew McConaughey. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though, and I mean that in a very light-hearted way, because the True Detective star played an absolutely gross prank on his co-star that left him feeling “disrespected.” In Chalamet’s words:

What a wild way to end production. I know I’d certainly be off put if that happened to me, so I can see why Chalamet was not happy about what he found in his bathroom. However, I can’t help but laugh about the reason why McConaughey did it.

I also can’t help but laugh about the one-word response the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star had after the Dune actor revealed this gross prank:

You know, it is a pretty unforgettable souvenir…and as shown by this tale, Chalamet still remembers (and laughs) about it.

While being a funny story by itself, I also love how it adds to the ever-growing lore of the Little Women actor’s love for this movie. Back when it came out, Chalamet had really only done small parts, like his eight-episode arc in Homeland, and he was not the movie star he is now. In fact, Interstellar was one of the biggest films he’d been in up to that point, and it wasn’t until three years later that he starred in his breakout project, Call Me By Your Name.

While he was bummed about his lack of screentime in the movie, seeing as he plays the younger version of Casey Affleck’s character, his affection for the film is evident. In the same interview with McConaughey, he explained that Christopher Nolan is his “favorite director to this day.” He also noted that when he read Interstellar, he “thought it was gonna change the world.” Chalamet also took the opportunity to tell his on-screen dad that this sci-fi epic “hugely inspired” his work in Dune: Part Three, which will be released on December 18, per the 2026 movie schedule.

So, even though the prank Matthew McConaughey pulled on Timothée Chalamet was icky and it made the younger actor feel a bit “disrespected,” clearly, there’s absolutely no bad blood. In fact, now they both look back on it all and laugh while the Marty Supreme star continues to gush about his love for Interstellar.

Timothée Chalamet is proving time and time again that he is one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. The Oscar nominee recently hosted a career retrospective where he welcomed names like Denis Villeneuve, Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey and more to help him discuss some of his career highlights. He also welcomed director Christopher Nolan who he worked with when he joined the cast of Interstellar. It was an awesome mini-reunion, and Nolan hilariously gave Chalamet a noogie during it.

For the retrospective, Chalamet screened Call Me By Your Name, which many consider his breakout film. During the screening, the Dune star reflected on reuniting with Nolan earlier that month to revisit their collaboration on Interstellar. He was only 17 when he did the movie, and Chalamet only had a small part in it, but it was memorable nonetheless. The actor had an absolute blast talking to the famed director again, and the whole interaction was like no time had passed. He told the audience at the event (via People):

Even though Chalamet only had a small part in the film, he still considers it a core memory. He has said that it’s his favorite project he’s been a part of, and has watched the film more times than any other. So it makes sense he would want both Nolan and McConaughey to participate in his career retrospective.

Nolan also seemed to have a great time reuniting with the young actor as well, as he gave him a noogie, which Chalamet documented on his Instagram. He said of the moment:

Even though 13 years have passed, Nolan still sees Chalamet as that young actor he worked with. Chalamet now has a large filmography, and he has grown tremendously as an actor, going on to star in blockbusters like Dune and Wonka, while also taking on movies like Little Women and A Complete Unknown. This photo, however, negated all of that, showcasing a dynamic that captures Chalamet’s continued youth and Nolan’s reverence for him not only as a star but as a protege.

I absolutely love this playful reunion, and it shows the lasting impact of not only an early collaboration but also Interstellar as a film. Chalamet may be Hollywood’s premier leading man, but he’s never forgotten where he came from. This is a great photo, and hopefully the reunion isn’t over, and we will see Chalamet in a Nolan movie in the near future. They are clearly a great match.

You can see Timothée Chalamet in his latest film, Marty Supreme, which is still playing in theaters nationwide. The movie made the actor a 2026 Golden Globe winner and a nominee at the 96th Oscars, so make sure to check it out on the big screen while you can. Fans can also revisit his Christopher Nolan collaboration in Interstellar, which is now streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

Timothée Chalamet is one of the biggest stars in the world right now. He recently received his third Oscar nomination for Best Actor, which is insane for an actor so young, but it turns out one of his favorite movies is one he made before most people knew who he was. It’s so important to him that his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, even used it for an incredible birthday gift that Matthew McConaughey had to talk about.

Some actors never watch their own movies, but Timothée Chalamet recently revealed in a CNN/Variety Town Hall with Matthew McConaughey that he’s seen Interstellar 22 times, including a dozen times in theaters. One of those times, McConaughey revealed, was part of Chalamet's last birthday. He told the audience…

Going to the movies for one's birthday is a fairly standard thing for a lot of people. But getting a dedicated screening of a movie that premiered well over a decade ago is extra special, and it shows Kylie Jenner knows just what will make her boyfriend happy. Hilariously, Chalamet admits to being very unhappy prior to the screening because she sprung it on him as a surprise. He said…

Interstellar is great, but seeing Interstellar in IMAX is better. Most of the 22 times Chalamet has watched the movie were likely on television, so seeing it in IMAX for the first time in a long time, if not the first time ever, had to be amazing. Kylie Jenner knows how to do birthdays.

Timothée Chalamet has a small role in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar as the young son of Matthew McConaughey’s character. It’s honestly more than a little surprising to me that Chalamet loves the movie so much, as he has talked about how he literally broke into tears the first time he saw it, because he thought his part would be much bigger. The Dune star joked about the small size of his role in the movie, saying…

Apparently, he got over it, and he loves the movie. And justifiably so, as Interstellar is a fantastic film. While it may not top everybody’s list of Christopher Nolan’s best movies, that’s only because he has so many great movies.

In case you hadn’t noticed, comic book movies have changed to an exceptional degree over the last quarter-century-plus. The landscape was basically dead until X-Men and Spider-Man changed the game in the early 2000s, and the storytelling is so abundant now thanks to the co-existing Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe that there are questions of genre fatigue. It’s been a complex journey full of big ups and downs in the last two-and-a-half decades, and two titles that really can’t be ignored in the conversation are Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and Zack Snyder’s Watchmen – which are actually two films that are inextricably linked.

No, I’m not just referring to the Batman easter egg in the latter’s memorable title sequence that seems to rewrite the Caped Crusader’s origin story. The two blockbusters were released within a year of one another (July 2008 and March 2009), and while they together demonstrated the potential of dark and dramatic storytelling in comic book movies, Snyder credits Nolan’s work for opening the particular door that he ended up walking through. In a 2009 interview with the New York Times, the 300 director was asked about how the success of the Batman Begins sequel “helped” his work, and Snyder explained,

The idea of dramatic comic book movies wasn’t wholly novel in the mid-’00s (the aforementioned Batman Begins isn’t exactly a light romp compared to the follow-up), but they certainly didn’t have the gravitas that existed in the wake of The Dark Knight. With comparisons to Michael Mann’s Heat and eventually seeing Heath Ledger win a posthumous Oscar, the film earned a degree of acclaim that the genre had never seen before, and it was thanks to Christopher Nolan’s grounded vision.

Snyder does note that there isn’t quite a one-to-one comparison to make. Nolan’s movie is a realistic crime epic with zero supernatural elements, and Watchmen is definitely not that. But as Snyder continued, he explained that there are key intersections in the character development and emotionality:

The existence of the god-like Dr. Manhattan alone is a big differentiator between Watchmen and The Dark Knight, but that big splash of the fantastical doesn’t eradicate the connection between the two movies because they operate with a similar core philosophy: this kind of storytelling can and should be taken seriously. Acknowledging their independent approaches, Snyder said,

Should you care to see how the two blockbusters compare nearly 20 years following their respective releases, both The Dark Knight and Watchmen are available to stream with a HBO Max subscription.