Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Holds First Press Screenings, Kurosawa’s ‘Ran’ Influences, Elliot Page’s Role Revealed

It might not have been widely reported, but Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” had its first press screenings a few days ago—two, to be precise, including one at NYC’s AMC Lincoln Square 13. It appears to have been shown exclusively for press members who are conducting interviews with Nolan and his cast.

So far, the word has been fairly positive. I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty, since Nolan’s team has been all over me lately, and I will inevitably have to take down whatever I write.

I will, however, share what’s been circulating on Reddit—one particular post. I’d rather not disclose the poster’s name, since it might get taken down. There may be a bit of hyperbole, as is almost always the case, but these are the first reactions to the film, so take them however you will.

Matt Damon is being praised for one of the film’s standout performances, while Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, and Tom Holland also earned positive words, with one attendee calling Holland “Oscar worthy.” The supporting cast received praise as well. Attendees reportedly hailed the score as phenomenal, highlighted the Cyclops, Sirens, Charybdis, and shipwreck sequences for their stunning cinematography, and said the screening ended with applause.

Nolan also has an interview with The New York Times, published this morning, he points to Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran” and Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Andrei Rublev” as key inspirations for “The Odyssey,” noting that both films left a strong visual and atmospheric imprint on him. He highlights ‘Andrei’ for its remarkable textures, while describing “Ran” as influential in how it connects characters to their environment—especially through elements like wind and landscape, which helped shape his own film’s finished look in retrospect.

Tarkovsky’s “Andrei Rublev” [1966] made quite an impression on everybody — the textures are pretty remarkable. One of the films I screened as a bit of a flier, like I didn’t really know whether it would be relevant, was Kurosawa’s “Ran” [1985]. It’s shot very differently, but there’s this relationship between the environment and the wind. Now that I look at [our] finished film, I think it was a huge influence.

More ‘Odyssey’ updates.

According to IGN Hungary reports that Elliot Page’s role in the rome, contradicting earlier fan speculation, is not Achilles, but rather Sinon, a Greek soldier part of Odysseus' fleet. He is not mentioned by Homer, but his story is given in the Aeneid of Virgil and other accounts, as a treacherous agent of the Greeks who misleads the Trojans, encouraging them to bring the Trojan Horse inside the city.

“The Odyssey” reportedly has a budget of around $250M and will utilize brand-new, state-of-the-art IMAX cameras, with cinematography by Nolan’s go-to DP, Hoyte van Hoytema. The runtime is 2 hours 52 minutes, and has been Rated R. The film hits theaters on July 17.