Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey premieres in London
The world premiere of Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey took place in London, marking a major cinematic event.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The world premiere of Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey, took place in London on Monday, marking one of the most anticipated cinematic events of the year. The film, which runs three hours, follows the Greek warrior Odysseus on his journey home from the Trojan War and features a star-studded cast including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as his wife Penelope, Tom Holland as their son Telemachus, and Zendaya in a supporting role. Other cast members include Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong'o, who plays Helen of Troy.
Nolan, the Oscar-winning British filmmaker, has built a reputation for making event movies that draw audiences to cinemas. His previous film, Oppenheimer, grossed nearly a billion dollars worldwide and won multiple Oscars, giving him the industry backing to undertake this ambitious project. The Odyssey is reported to have cost more than $250 million (around £200 million) and was filmed over 91 days across six countries, using real locations and practical effects rather than computer-generated imagery.
A key technical achievement is that The Odyssey is the first full-length feature film shot entirely with IMAX cameras. Nolan worked with IMAX engineers to develop a silencing system for the cameras, which are normally too noisy for dialogue scenes, allowing him to capture every frame on the highest-quality film format. The director is known for his preference for shooting on film rather than digitally, and he has stated that audiences can tell the difference. The film uses more than 2 million feet of IMAX film stock.
The adaptation has generated excitement among classicists and scholars, who see the poem's themes of hospitality, belonging, and the treatment of strangers as resonant for modern times. Nolan has said he focused on the ancient Greek concept of xenia, or the law of hospitality, which underpins the story. However, the film has also sparked debate online over casting choices, particularly the reported casting of a black actor as Helen of Troy, with some commentators accusing the film of being 'too woke'. Scholars note that such controversies reflect a desire for audiences to see their own identities reflected in heroic narratives.
Despite the debates, early reviews have been positive, and tickets are selling fast. The film's sheer scale has been compared to classic epics such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Matt Damon described it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a David Lean-style movie. Nolan himself sees the film as filling a gap, noting that no previous cinematic adaptation of The Odyssey has had the resources of a large-scale Hollywood production. The film is set for general release next week.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC NEWS | BBC One | Channel 4 | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The film is the first full-length feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras. | · | |||
| Oppenheimer made almost a billion dollars worldwide. | · | · | ||
| The film was shot across six countries over 91 days at a cost of over $250 million. | · | · | ||
| The film's budget is estimated at more than $250 million. | · | · | ||
| IMAX screenings sold out a year in advance in New York. | · | · | · | |
| Most actors had a 45-minute hike to one location, but Anne Hathaway was helicoptered up because her character was the queen. | · | · | · | |
| Nolan asked IMAX to silence the cameras for dialogue scenes. | · | · | · | |
| Nolan discussed the theme of xenia (hospitality) as a moral foundation in the film. | · | · | · | |
| Nolan read multiple translations of the poem and worked from intuition to own the adaptation. | · | · | · | |
| The film is three hours long. | · | · | · | |
| The film was shot entirely on film, using over 2 million feet of IMAX film, and Nolan avoided digital cameras, CGI, and AI. | · | · | · | |
| The film was shot over 91 days across six countries. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on the scale and ambition of the film, the technical achievement of shooting entirely on IMAX, and the scholarly and public debate around casting and themes. It included reactions from classicists and box office analysis, framing the film as a major cultural event with both commercial and academic significance.
- “This is definitely the biggest movie that I've ever done in my career.”
- “The reported casting of a black actor, Lupita Nyong'o, as Helen of Troy led some commentators to charge that the film might be too woke.”
- “I think his king is coming back. No, he's not.”
BBC ONE West emphasised the challenge of following Oppenheimer, the star-studded cast, and Nolan's commitment to practical filmmaking. It highlighted the gruelling 91-day shoot across six countries and the logistical quirks, such as Anne Hathaway being helicoptered to set. The tone was celebratory and focused on the film's epic scale and Nolan's risk-taking.
- “How does me you will come back?”
- “I almost wonder whether you're Smuggling some high art in through a medium that is just so accessible”
- “the biggest risk in Motion pictures is to not take a risk”
Channel 4 focused on the adaptation process, the thematic depth of the poem (especially the concept of xenia), and the technical challenges of using IMAX cameras for dialogue. It included an interview with Nolan and Tom Holland, giving a behind-the-scenes look at how the director balanced audience expectations with fidelity to the source material. The tone was analytical and interview-driven.
- “It's the cyclops and the sirens and some like The Lotus Eaters and The Lotus Fighters, like a tiny reference.”
- “You have this concept of zenia. We don't refer to zenia in the film because I think it would be confusing. So we just refer to it as useless law.”
- “It was like doing a scene with Anne Hathaway and a Mini Cooper looking over your shoulder.”
ITV1 highlighted Nolan's rejection of modern digital techniques, including AI and CGI, in favour of shooting entirely on film. It compared the film to classic epics like Lawrence of Arabia and emphasised the cost and scale. The tone was nostalgic and admiring, framing Nolan as a director who 'saves cinema' by returning to traditional methods.
- “People know the difference.”
- “It felt like I had a chance once in my life to make a David Lean movie, because this is how it would have been done 80 years ago.”
- “I can still save them.”
Broadcast Timeline
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