Clearly, The Odyssey is one of the most anticipated films of the year globally. A Christopher Nolan film is always an event, even if it is the biopic of a nuclear scientist or a dream-hopping adventure. But when you combine Nolan’s genius with ancient Greek fantasy, that is potential box-office gold. Perhaps that is what ignites the craze for The Odyssey, which is fast entering mythical space in the Hollywood echelon. According to reports, the craze for the film is so high that ticket scalpers are selling opening day tickets for as high as $500 ( ₹47500).
The Odyssey tickets selling for ₹47500
Christopher Nolan productions always inspire a certain amount of hysteria, but excitement for The Odyssey is at a fever pitch. Initial screenings for the 70 mm IMAX showings, the filmmaker’s favourite format, sold out in under an hour a year in advance. Last month, when all showtimes went on sale, many ticketing sites crashed. Associated Press reports that high-profile locations like the AMC Lincoln Square in New York and AMC CityWalk in Los Angeles are virtually sold out for weeks. But that has not deterred people from trying to find a seat in these iconic venues. AP reports that scalpers on eBay are attempting to sell tickets for more than $500.
In India, IMAX ticket sales for The Odyssey began a month before the release. With one week to go, the premium tickets in cities like Mumbai and Delhi – some of which are priced as high as ₹3300 – are sold out in most theatres.
Christopher Nolan on the audience
Addressing the hype, Nolan told AP that for him, the audience is paramount. “The audience tells you what it is,” Nolan said. “And that means that for us, this is an exciting moment, but a very frightening moment, because it’s real. There’s nothing to hide behind. We made this film for a theatrical audience, and it goes out in the world as that. And we’ll see what the world makes of it.”
The Odyssey is an adaptation of Homer’s Greek epic, written over 2500 years ago. As one of the most widely read works of literature, Nolan said he wanted to present it differently. “You want to question people’s assumptions about how things should be portrayed in movies and what those are based on. There’s a challenge to that and a risk to that,” the filmmaker said. That meant making some bold choices, including colloquial language, American accents, and blending elements from various stories, some of which have drawn criticism, too.
All about The Odyssey
The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the mythical king of Ithaca. The film follows his perilous journey home at the end of the Trojan War. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron in pivotal roles. The Odyssey arrives in theatres on July 17.