London Crwod Embraces Chris Nolan Epic at Star-Studded World Premiere

As a Trojan horse towered over Leicester Square, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson appeared in front of screaming fans ahead of the world’s first screening of Nolan’s latest three-hour epos.

Nolan and his 'Odyssey' cast at the world premiere, July 6. — Nolan and ‘Odyssey’ cast at world premiere. Courtesy of Getty

It was a home event for much of the cast, including Brits Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth.

They were joined by Matt Damon, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie, and Travis Scott, who walked the sandy carpet as screaming fans clambered to catch a glimpse of the star-studded lineup. A Trojan horse towered over the Odeon Luxe theater.

“I grew up watching movies here, coming to Leicester Square, watching films, not from the balcony of the posh people, but from the stalls, and really dreaming of making a film one day that would fill the screen. So to be here in such glamorous circumstances with all of you to celebrate the work of so many people who came together to make The Odyssey is truly incredible.”

The director then alluded to the country’s late-night thriller with Mexico in the World Cup last night, which had fans up until 4 a.m.: “For all you fellow England fans who didn’t sleep much last night, try not to snore in the quiet parts. It’s The Odyssey. There are no quiet parts.”

Nolan thanked the large cast and crew who worked on the film, as well as NBCUniversal chair Donna Langley, describing the making of the film as “the thrill of a lifetime.”

The Odyssey tells the story of Greek hero Odysseus’ long, torturous and fantastical trip home from the Trojan War, back to the Kingdom of Ithaca to save his wife and son.

The film stars Damon in the lead, and also features Odysseus’ son, Telemachus (Holland); Odysseus’ wife, Penelope (Hathaway); the nymph Calypso (Theron); and Penelope’s sniveling suitor, Antinous (Pattinson), who is seeking to marry the queen and become the ruler of Ithaca.

The film also features Odysseus’ servant Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta and Agamemnon’s brother.

It is Nolan’s first film since 2023’s Oppenheimer, which won 7 Oscars, including best picture, becoming the British director’s third highest-grossing feature at the box office, with a global figure $971 million (against a production budget of $100 million, exclusing markeing).

My Oscar Book:

Mo doubt, he has yet another critical and commercially acclaimed hit on his hands–the only question hwow big?

The buzz around the film’s quality only grew when Universal decided to scrap word-of-mouth (influencer) screenings.

After tonight’s London premiere, The Odyssey begins regular screening for critics, signaling a lot of faith from the studio about its July 17 release.

Photo: Noland and me afer Dunkirk premiere, Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles.