The Gods do indeed walk among us. The Odyssey has arrived.
London’s Leicester Square was alight on Monday evening as Christopher Nolan ushered in his hotly anticipated summer blockbuster at the film’s world premiere.
It was a home turf event for much of the cast, including Britons Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth. They were joined by Matt Damon, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie, and Travis Scott, who walked the sandy carpet as screaming fans clambered to catch a glimpse of the star-studded lineup. A Trojan horse towered over the Odeon Luxe theater.
“There’s nothing quite like a London premiere,” began Nolan as he took to the stage ahead of the IMAX screening. “I just want to take an opportunity to say thank you to all you guys for the incredible work that this audience is about to see,” he told the cast, before turning to the crowd. “You’re the first audience in the world to see this film. This is the world premiere — on the beautiful 70mm film — so be kind.”
“I grew up watching movies here, coming to Leicester Square, watching films, not from the balcony of the posh people, but from the stalls,” he continued, prompting cheers from the audience, “and really dreaming of making a film one day that would fill the screen. So to be here in such glamorous circumstances with all of you to celebrate the work of so many people who came together to make The Odyssey is truly incredible.”
The Englishman then alluded to the country’s late-night thriller with Mexico in the World Cup last night, which had fans up until 4 a.m.: “For all you fellow England fans who didn’t sleep much last night, try not to snore in the quiet parts. It’s The Odyssey. There are no quiet parts!”
Nolan wrapped up by thanking the cast and “thousands” of people in the crew who worked on the film, as well as NBCUniversal chairman Donna Langley. He described the making of the film as “the thrill of a lifetime.”
In theaters July 17, The Odyssey tells the story of Greek hero Odysseus’ long, torturous and fantastical trip home from the Trojan War, back to the Kingdom of Ithaca to save his wife and son. The film stars Damon in the lead role, and also features Odysseus’ son, Telemachus (Holland); Odysseus’ wife, Penelope (Hathaway); the nymph Calypso (Theron); and Penelope’s sniveling suitor, Antinous (Pattinson), who is seeking to marry the queen and become the ruler of Ithaca. The film also features Odysseus’ servant Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta and Agamemnon’s brother.
It is Nolan’s first film since 2023’s Oppenheimer, which won seven Oscars including best picture and became the British director’s third highest-grossing feature at the box office, accruing a cool $971 million. It’s safe to say the weight on Nolan’s shoulders as he debuts The Odyssey — though he likely won’t feel a thing — is huge. Does he have yet another critical and commercially acclaimed hit on his hands?
The buzz around the quality of the film only grew when Universal decided to scrap word-of-mouth (a.k.a influencer) screenings. Instead, after tonight’s London premiere, The Odyssey will begin screening for critics, signaling a lot of faith from the studio.
