Christopher Nolan directed the new film 'The Odyssey', based on Homer’s 3,000-year-old Greek epic poem, released in Taiwan on July 17 in IMAX format [1, 2]. The movie is the first ever fully shot with IMAX technology, marking a milestone in cinematic production [1].

Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who faces a decade-long journey back home following the Trojan War. The film centers on Odysseus’s battles against gods’ curses, mythological monsters, and rival factions threatening his family and kingdom [1, 2, 3]. Damon praised the story for balancing faithfulness to the original epic with a fresh narrative approach [2, 4].

The film’s cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o [2, 3]. Filming took place over 90 days across challenging locations such as the UK, Morocco, Greece, the Aeolian Islands, Italy, Iceland, and Scotland under extreme weather conditions [2, 4, 5]. Damon underwent intense physical training and health management to withstand difficult shoots, including fierce storms on Iceland’s black sand beach. He described the experience as some of the hardest days of filming he's ever faced and said, "Before he told me what the film was about, I had already agreed to star in it" [2, 4, 5].

With a production budget of $250 million, the highest in Nolan’s career, the movie also received a 98% freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes [2, 3].

The film’s release has revived public interest in Homer’s Odyssey, especially among young Americans. Sales of Emily Wilson’s English translation surged significantly in 2025, before the film’s release, as many turned to classical literature in anticipation [6, 7]. TikTok videos reflecting on reading the epic attracted widespread attention among youth viewers [6, 7]. Bard College professor Daniel Mendelsohn likened the experience to "a Rolls-Royce ride that makes you question why you ever drove any other car," praising the film’s quality and faithfulness to the source [6].

The Odyssey continues its theatrical run in IMAX cinemas across the US and internationally, with box office and audience reactions closely watched in coming weeks [2].