Christopher Nolan’s Biggest Weapon in The Odyssey Won’t be Matt Damon or Tom Holland, It’s His Enhanced IMAX Camera

Christopher Nolan’s new film has been revealed to be an adaptation of The Odyssey. Universal Pictures announced the film on Tuesday, revealing a release date of July 17, 2026. Nolan’s film boasts a star cast of Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. However, fans are most thrilled about the film because of the director’s use of new IMAX film technology.

Christopher Nolan on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Credits: CBS

Earlier, Nolan’s Oscar-winning film, Oppenheimer, singlehandedly revived one art that took backstage when digital filmmaking became popular. It was the Interstellar director who made IMAX popular among cine-goers and gave back jobs to many IMAX projectionists with his latest film.

Christopher Nolan’s biggest weapon for The Odyssey is the brand-new IMAX technology

Matt Damon in Oppenheimer | Credits: Universal; Anne Hathway in The Idea of You | Credits: Prime Video; Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Far from Home | Credits: Marvel Studios; Zendaya in Dune and Robert Pattinson in The Batman | Credits: Warner Bros.

Christopher Nolan has found another story worth telling and this time he picked Homer’s mythic poem Odyssey. The visionary filmmaker is all set to make another film that could easily sweep the Oscars in 2027. Homer’s foundational work follows Odysseus’ journey from Troy to Ithaca after the Trojan War.

Nolan’s Oscar glory attracted many mainstream names to his next film. The film has reportedly added multiple A-listers from Matt Damon to Tom Holland. They are also some of the highest-paid actors in the industry, making Nolan’s film a costly affair. However, these actors are not the biggest weapon in Nolan’s arsenal for this film.

Ever since Nolan and David Keighley convinced Kodak to continue with their IMAX 1570 mm film production, many of his acclaimed films used this format. Nolan made films like The Dark Knight and its sequel, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and the most recent Oppenheimer using the 1570 format. In the latter, he also used the traditional IMAX projection technology.

However, as Universal Pictures made it clear in their announcement, Nolan’s new film, The Odyssey, is being shot across the world using “brand new IMAX film technology.” The emphasis on the technology during the announcement phase itself has made fans excited about this new technology.

Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.

Besides Damon and Holland, Nolan has also reportedly brought in Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron. Nolan and Universal will look to repeat their Oppenheimer success, both at the box office and during the awards season, for this film.

What does the new IMAX technology enable Christopher Nolan to do?

Christopher Nolan with Matt Damon and Matthew McConaughey on the sets of Interstellar | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Fans have found out more information about the features of the new IMAX technology used in the film. While IMAX 15/65 Film is still not a digital camera, it has some pretty groundbreaking features. It will be 30% quieter than the existing cameras, which would help Nolan to record dialogue and mix sound on the set.

The camera is also much lighter in weight, considering its all-new multi-layer carbon fiber body and structure. It has enhanced stability which helps in handling the camera with more precision and control. It also boasts a new brighter Optical Viewfinder designed by Panavision.

The camera also has enhanced connectivity, with features like Gigabit Ethernet, USB-C, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. More features of the new technology can be found in this X post:

Nolan’s love for the IMAX is making it more popular. Denis Villeneuve also chose an IMAX experience for his film, Dune: Part Two. While he shot the film with IMAX digital cameras rather than the 1570 film, he credited Nolan’s Oppenheimer for choosing IMAX (via Associated Press).

The Odyssey will be out in theaters on July 17, 2026.