Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Gains Strong Oscars Buzz After Industry Screenings: NBA All-Star Game Of Acting

It's

only July 2026, but the Oscar race for the 99th Academy Awards in 2027 has begun. Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, has solidified itself as the one to beat after screenings were held for voting members of the Academy. The first reactions from the screenings across the world are showing that The Odyssey will be aiming to tie the record for Sinners' most nominations from earlier this year. Here's what went down at the industry screenings for Nolan's film, which is the first feature entirely shot on IMAX cameras.

Oscar voters praise Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey

According to a report on Variety, screenings were held in Los Angeles, New York City and London for members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) who decide the Oscar nominations. In Los Angeles, the screening showed the film in 70mm at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and the 1,000-seat venue was nearly full. Members' reactions at the screening were anonymously recorded. One member called Nolan "the definitive filmmaker of our time", while others called the nearly three-hour film "spectacular". One actor who watched The Odyssey compared the film to an NBA All-Star game of acting while singling out actors Matt Damon, Jon Bernthal, John Leguizamo, Robert Pattinson, and Anne Hathaway. They added, "Good luck to those of us that have movies coming out the rest of the year."

While Damon has already won an Oscar for co-writing Good Will Hunting (1997) with friend Ben Affleck, one voter felt incredibly moved by his performance as Odysseus, as he stated, "I think Matt has to win the Oscar. He has to." While there are plenty of films yet to be released in the next five months or so and film festivals like Telluride, Venice and Toronto premiering even more Oscar contenders, The Odyssey will definitely be in the conversation.

More about The Odyssey

The rest of the ensemble cast also features Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel and Samantha Morton. Shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema on IMAX, the adaptation was filmed on location in Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, the Western Sahara, and Malta.

In India, The Odyssey has become the biggest Hollywood film of the year and crossed the Rs 100 crore mark. It is the second Nolan film after 2023's Oppenheimer to reach that record. On its opening weekend, the film earned Rs 70 crore.