A bizarre popcorn bucket, IMAX ticket mayhem and an A-list cast: Why Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' is among the most anticipated movies of 2026

Key Points:

• Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus and featuring an A-list cast including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson, premieres nationwide on July 17 with a runtime of nearly three hours and a $250 million budget.
• The film has sparked intense demand for tickets, causing website crashes and record-breaking presale sales, with AMC reporting its highest first-day ticket sales since 2022 and scalpers reselling tickets at exorbitant prices.
• Cast members Holland, Pattinson, and Damon have praised Nolan's meticulous preparation and the professional, immersive experience of filming on location, with Damon highlighting the unique opportunity to shoot on film and in challenging conditions.
• The movie's promotional popcorn bucket, designed as a Trojan Horse with a secret compartment, received mixed reactions from fans, who debated its practicality and novelty; a more functional limited-edition IMAX-themed bucket is also available.
• Nolan chose to adapt The Odyssey to challenge himself with a new storytelling style and fill a cultural gap, emphasizing practical effects and real-world filming to authentically capture the epic's adventurous spirit and physicality.