Christopher Nolan chose IMAX for uncompromised visual fidelity on The Odyssey, while Matt Damon recalled the chaos behind making it actually work. The Greek mythology epic became the first feature-length film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. Unlike conventional rigs, the bulky equipment complicated movement, sound, and staging, making Nolan’s ambitious spectacle even harder to execute.

Speaking on 60 Minutes, Christopher Nolan explained that he pursued IMAX for The Odyssey because he wanted uncompromised visual fidelity without sacrificing practical filmmaking. Nolan aimed to shoot the entire Greek mythology epic in-camera using IMAX 70mm. In the same interview, Damon revealed that at the time, neither the crew nor IMAX engineers knew whether such an ambitious production could even function.

“It kind of dawned on us that we were going to make it through the production and we were actually going to be able to shoot entirely on IMAX.” The realization came after months of handling cameras that required reloading every few minutes.

The massive equipment also produced overwhelming mechanical noise, making intimate dialogue scenes nearly impossible to capture cleanly during filming.

Christopher Nolan eventually pushed IMAX engineers to create a soundproof enclosure capable of muting the famously thunderous cameras. The enormous rig reportedly weighed more than 300 pounds once assembled. Production crews even reinforced dollies with steel plating to support the machinery. Despite the logistical nightmare, the modified cameras continued functioning throughout the demanding shoot.

Yet, even then, the film being shot on an IMAX camera is just one of its interesting aspects.

What makes The Odyssey so intriguing?

What makes The Odyssey especially fascinating is how Christopher Nolan appears to be embracing Homer’s fragmented storytelling instead of simplifying it for mainstream audiences. The ancient poem already shifts through flashbacks, parallel journeys, and layered memory. That structure fits naturally beside Nolan’s obsession with fractured timelines, making the adaptation feel less like reinvention and more like cinematic destiny.

The film is also abandoning the sanitized fantasy aesthetic dominating many modern epics. Nolan, according to Time Magazine, shot dangerous ocean sequences on real waters while constructing massive practical sets, including a full-scale Trojan Horse. Even the Cyclops performance involves physical puppeteering guidance from Bill Irwin, grounding mythical creatures in something tactile, unsettling, and strangely believable for audiences.

Perhaps the most intriguing shift lies in the film’s psychological horror undertones. Instead of treating Greek mythology as escapist spectacle, The Odyssey reportedly leans into exhaustion, divine dread, and emotional torment. Matt Damon’s Odysseus facing sirens who psychoanalyze him sounds less like heroic fantasy and more like spiritual collapse, making Christopher Nolan’s decision to capture everything on towering IMAX frames feel even more overwhelming.

What do you think about Christopher Nolan's decision to film on an IMAX camera? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Iffat Siddiqui

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui