Christopher Nolan's upcoming fantasy epic, The Odyssey, will reportedly be shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, a first for a commercial feature.
Nolan has extensive IMAX experience, having used the format for select scenes within Dunkirk, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, Tenet, and more recently, Oppenheimer.
Reportedly, 20% of the latter's $975.8 million worldwide gross came from IMAX screenings.
On the technological achievement, Imax CEO Rich Gelfond stated, "Chris called me up and said, ‘If you can figure out how to solve the problems, I will make [Odyssey] 100 percent in Imax.’ And that’s what we’re doing."
Gelfond added, "He forced us to rethink that side of our business, our film recorders, our film cameras.”
Previous issues with IMAX cameras centered on their weight- a special shoulder harness had to be crafted for Dunkirk, with the IMAX camera for that shoot weighing 54 pounds (24 kg).
Another issue with IMAX cameras is centered on the loud buzzing they generate. It's this sound that has been attributed to one of the few criticisms of Nolan's films, that at times, the dialogue can sound muffled.
Nolan is something of an innovator when it comes to IMAX as he holds several records, including the movie with the largest amount of IMAX footage (The Dark Knight Rises - 72 minutes) and the film with the highest percentage of IMAX shots (Dunkirk: 75%).
The Odyssey is led by Matt Damon in the iconic role of the long-wandering king of Ithaca, Odysseus. Joining Damon on this legendary journey are a host of acclaimed actors, each bringing their unique presence to Nolan's vision.
Appearing alongside Damon are Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Cosmo Jarvis, Corey Hawkins, Ryan Hurst, and Mia Goth.
Helming the project and penning the adapted screenplay is the aforementioned Nolan, who draws inspiration from Homer's timeless Greek epic of the same name.
The film will chart the epic ten-year odyssey of the valiant king of Ithaca, Odysseus (also known by his Roman appellation, Ulysses), as he endeavors to return to his homeland following the protracted Trojan War.
His voyage from the fallen city of Troy to Ithaca is fraught with mythological peril and spans an additional decade, during which his entire company perishes. While Odysseus is believed lost, his queen Penelope and their son Telemachus are besieged in Ithaca by a boisterous assembly of suitors seeking Penelope's hand in marriage and control of the realm.