The Odyssey Breaks Box Office Records

By Mawunyo Gbogbo

Topic: Movies

Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 12:10 pm

Christopher Nolan directed The Odyssey with Matt Damon and Zendaya.

Movie stars used to attract people to the cinema.

Now, the director is the main attraction for The Odyssey.

The film has many famous actors, but the director is the biggest star.

The actors in the film include Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Zendaya.

But Christopher Nolan is the one drawing people to the film.

Zak Hepburn, a film critic, says Nolan is the reason for the film's success.

The film's story is about Odysseus's return home after the Trojan War.

There's a theory that movie stars are not as popular as they used to be.

Hepburn says this is changing with the success of The Odyssey.

Older films had many famous actors in small roles, directed by great directors.

Nolan has become like those great directors, guiding many famous actors.

Hepburn says Nolan has a unique style that people enjoy.

The Odyssey is about Odysseus's journey home after the war.

The film is based on an ancient Greek story from the 7th or 8th century BC.

The film has been very successful, earning over $376 million worldwide.

In Australia, it debuted at number one, earning $13.4 million.

Nolan's last film, Oppenheimer, was also very successful, winning seven Oscars.

Nolan has directed many successful films, including The Dark Knight and Inception.

Some people have criticized Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey.

Hepburn says the film is a great example of Nolan's directing style.

Nolan is compared to other great directors like Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg.

Hepburn says Nolan is the new king of Hollywood.

Nolan's success with The Odyssey and Oppenheimer makes him a top director.

The film has received positive reviews, with 95% of critics liking it.

The film is also bringing people back to cinemas, according to Jeremy Fee.

Fee says Nolan has been the king of cinema for IMAX Melbourne for a long time.

The Odyssey has become the biggest grossing film at IMAX Melbourne.

The film was shot in a unique ratio, which is being shown at IMAX Melbourne.

The large film stock used in the film allows for detailed projections.

Fee says this provides the most accurate representation of the film.

Some people have criticized the film's historical accuracy.

Tom Hercules Davies, a lecturer in classics, says the film is an interesting interpretation.

Davies says the film focuses on the law of Zeus and the hospitality of guests.

He says this has relevance to current events, like the migrant crisis.

Davies says the film's world is similar to our own, with imperial states being aggressive.

He says this is an interesting analogy between the ancient world and our own.

Nolan is shown on set with his cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema.

Davies says the argument about historical accuracy is the wrong way to look at the film.

He says the Odyssey is a fantasy story from a different time and audience.

Davies says the world in the Odyssey is not just one era, but many.

He says it's mistaken to think the world in the Odyssey was not international.

In the Odyssey, Odysseus starts his journey because Poseidon is away.

Poseidon has gone to visit Ethiopia in Africa, showing a connected world.

Davies says it's unclear if Homer, the supposed author, was a single person.

For a long time, the Iliad and Odyssey were not attributed to Homer.

Other poets alluded to the poems, but didn't name an author.

The name Homer is unusual and means 'hostage'.

Davies says the Odyssey may have been attributed to Homer by a group of performers.

Athena is shown helping Odysseus on his journey.

Davies says some scholars believe Homer was an invented figure.

As for whether Nolan is the king of cinema, Davies says no, he'd give that title to James Cameron.

The Odyssey is currently in cinemas.

See more ABC coverage.

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