Christopher Nolan is breaking new ground in Christopher Nolan IMAX filmmaking with his upcoming feature, The Odyssey, which is becoming the first narrative film shot entirely on IMAX cameras. This innovative project, led by Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, showcases advancements that now allow for unprecedented intimacy in both visuals and sound, unfolding a new era in Hollywood filmmaking.
Innovative Beginnings Backed by a Bowie Test
During pre-production, Hoyte van Hoytema crafted test footage using a IMAX camera to capture a child reciting lyrics from David Bowie’s “Sound And Vision.” This unconventional experiment aimed to determine if IMAX film technology could deliver clear audio and image quality for close-up dialogue scenes—a realm previously off-limits due to the cameras’ noise and bulk.
“I presented Chris with a very big close-up of a child on the IMAX screen, reciting David Bowie’s ‘Sound And Vision’ from a piece of paper,”
van Hoytema said.
“It was very touching: that level of intimacy in both image and sound, fused together, projected in the theatre.”
— Hoyte van Hoytema, Cinematographer
Breakthrough in Camera Technology
Nolan was immediately struck by the possibilities the test footage revealed, describing the effect as “electrifying.” Historically, the use of IMAX cameras was confined to action sequences because their operational noise prevented recorded dialogue in intimate settings. This project saw the introduction of a new “blimp” casing—a sound-dampening enclosure for the camera—that changed the equation.
“We never would have been able to get those shots before.”
— Christopher Nolan, Director
“The blimp system is a game-changer,”
Nolan said.
“You can be shooting a foot from [an actor’s] face while they’re whispering and get usable sound. What that opens up are intimate moments of performance on the world’s most beautiful format.”
— Christopher Nolan, Director
Nolan’s History with IMAX Cameras
Nolan’s journey toward pushing IMAX technology began as early as 2008, when The Dark Knight broke ground as the first Hollywood film to use IMAX cameras for certain action scenes. With each new release, Nolan integrated more IMAX sequences, culminating in the 2023 Oscar-winning Oppenheimer, where, with van Hoytema and Kodak, he pioneered shooting on 65mm black-and-white IMAX film.
The Odyssey reunites Nolan with van Hoytema, whose cinematography has defined the look of Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer. For Oppenheimer, van Hoytema earned the Oscar for cinematography after extensive collaboration with Kodak to produce the first-ever 65mm IMAX black-and-white film stock.
“Black and white film doesn’t exist for 65 millimeters, so our first challenge was starting to talk to Kodak about if they could provide us with the necessary film stock that we needed for this film,”
Hoytema said.
“We needed to re-engineer the cameras as well because those cameras have these pressure plates behind the film gates that are made out of metal and the backing is much thinner than color stock. The light would bleed back into the films creating all these artifacts.”
— Hoyte van Hoytema, Cinematographer
Ambitious Scope and Star-Packed Cast
The production of The Odyssey was a monumental undertaking, with Nolan revealing to Empire magazine that
“shot over 2 million feet of film”
were used during its 91-day filming period in early 2024. At an estimated $1.50 per foot for 65mm film from Kodak, the raw film costs alone approached $3 million—a testament to Nolan’s commitment to the IMAX format.
The cast for The Odyssey features Matt Damon as Odysseus, reuniting with Nolan after acclaimed roles in Interstellar and Oppenheimer. Tom Holland steps in as Telemachus, his son. The ensemble is completed by Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal, adding depth to the adaptation of Homer’s epic.
Nolan’s Vision: Cinematic Mythology Reimagined
Asked about his motivation for bringing Homer’s Greek epic to the screen, Nolan shared his perspective on unexplored possibilities in cinema.
“As a filmmaker, you’re looking for gaps in cinematic culture, things that haven’t been done before,”
Nolan told Empire about why he chose to adapt Homer’s Greek epic.
“And what I saw is that all of this great mythological cinematic work that I had grown up with – Ray Harryhausen movies and other things – I’d never seen that done with the sort of weight and credibility that an A-budget and a big Hollywood, IMAX production could do.”
— Christopher Nolan, Director
What Comes Next for IMAX Filmmaking
The Odyssey marks a defining moment for Christopher Nolan IMAX filmmaking, blending technical advancements, ambitious storytelling, and a celebrated cast. As filmmakers like Nolan continue to reshape cinematic tools and narrative ambitions, the industry is poised for more dynamic and immersive IMAX experiences. Audiences will get to witness this historic union of technology and storytelling when The Odyssey premieres in theaters worldwide on July 17, 2026 via Universal.
