Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey” is one of the year’s biggest film releases, continuing the filmmaker’s streak of ambitious, large-scale movies. While fans are still taking in his latest project, the director has already tempered expectations for what’s next, revealing that audiences will likely have to wait a while before his next movie arrives.
Just days after the release of “The Odyssey” on July 17, fans are already wondering when Christopher Nolan’s next project will be released. The director’s early career was marked by one- to two-year gaps between films. Since 2017, however, his releases have settled into a roughly three-year cycle.
“The Odyssey” is Nolan’s first movie after 2023’s “Oppenheimer.” The director admitted that his latest project pushed his physical limits and was the most challenging film he had ever done.
“I definitely hit the limits of my own stamina and everybody’s stamina, I think. I mean, it’s ‘The Odyssey,’ of course it should be difficult,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t be doing his job correctly if it was easy.
As for whether fans can expect his next film to come out in three years, he told TODAY, “Oh, at least.”
Matt Damon Received A Call About ‘The Odyssey’ Months After The Director’s First Oscar
Nolan’s idea to take “The Odyssey” to the big screen began in the early 2000s. According to Matt Damon, who portrays Odysseus in the epic film, he got a call from the director just six months after his first Oscar win.
In 2024, Nolan earned his first Best Director Oscar for the biographical drama “Oppenheimer.” The movie was nominated in 13 categories and took home seven wins.
Damon assumed that it would take at least another year before the director would start to work on his next project, but that wasn’t the case, as he learned during the call. “So I just thought we were catching up, which we did. And then he blurted out, ‘Yeah, I’m thinking of going back to work.’ And I went, ‘Wait, already?’” the actor told PEOPLE.
Christopher Nolan Made History With His Latest Film
“The Odyssey” is the first feature-length commercial film shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, which uses 70mm film stock. For Nolan, shooting the movie in the format was a dream come true. Although he had used it in sequences for his past films, “The Odyssey” was the first time he used it for the entire movie.
“I’d originally seen IMAX films in museums and theme parks as a kid and immediately thought, why aren’t they making movies like that? That was when I was 16 or 17. Now I’m about to be 56, and I’ve finally gotten to do it,” he told The New York Times.
Using the camera had its challenges, though. As cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema noted, it made a noise “like a lawn mower, diesel engine.” The problem was solved with a “soundproofing system” built for the camera.
Filming ‘The Odyssey’ Was Tough For The Cast And Crew
Nolan knew making “The Odyssey” would be tough. The director is known for favoring practical effects over CGI, and the cast and crew had to endure grueling filming conditions in pursuit of authenticity.
The cast and crew were exposed to brutal weather conditions and had to hike daily to a set located 1,000 feet above sea level to film some scenes. While shooting aboard a ship in the open sea, some supporting cast members became seasick and threw up. Instead of halting production, Nolan decided to include it in the movie. “They were really game for it. And that day ended up being fabulous as well as miserable; it yielded some of my favorite shots in the film,” the director said.
Damon noted that Nolan had the “hardest job on set,” sharing that when he felt discomfort, it helped to see the director “looking like a drowned rat, just as cold, just as wet, and never complaining.”
‘The Odyssey’ Made $51 Million On Opening Day
“The Odyssey” is on track for box office success. According to multiple reports, the film earned $51.2 million from preview screenings and its opening day on Friday, July 17, in North American theaters.
It is projected to earn $120 million on opening weekend. Furthermore, the movie has, so far, earned $137.3 million across 73 international markets.
