Christopher Nolan Breaks Down How THE ODYSSEY Was Shot on IMAX Film, and It’ll Give You a Whole New Appreciation for the Process

There are filmmakers who make movies, and then there’s Christopher Nolan, who seems determined to remind audiences why the theatrical experience still matters.

As anticipation continues to build for The Odyssey, Nolan has offered fans a fascinating look at the incredibly complex journey that IMAX film takes from the moment it leaves the camera to the moment it lights up a giant screen.

Watching him explain the process feels less like a promotional featurette and more like sitting in on a filmmaking masterclass.

In a video shared by guywithamoviecamera on TikTok, Nolan walks viewers through every stage of the workflow used on The Odyssey, which carries the distinction of being the first movie ever shot entirely on IMAX film.

For anyone who has ever wondered what happens after the camera stops rolling, the answer is a lot more involved than simply transferring footage to a hard drive.

Each canister of exposed film has to be carefully shipped back to Los Angeles for processing. Considering that The Odyssey filmed across locations in Morocco and throughout the Mediterranean, those reels racked up some serious frequent flyer miles before ever reaching an editing room.

What follows is a painstaking process that highlights just how much craftsmanship still goes into large-format filmmaking. Nolan details how the film is developed, dried, inspected, and eventually prepared for editing.

Even viewers who aren't familiar with filmmaking terminology will likely find themselves impressed by the sheer amount of work required.

Some of the most interesting details are the ones most moviegoers never get to see. The drying process alone is fascinating, but there’s also the revelation that film reels are literally glued together by hand during the post-production process to ensure color corrections and edits are perfected before creating the final first-generation IMAX presentation.

In an era dominated by digital cameras and instant playback, seeing this level of hands-on craftsmanship feels almost surreal. It also helps explain why Nolan has remained such a passionate advocate for shooting on film and preserving traditional filmmaking techniques.

He’s not alone, either. Directors like Ryan Coogler have also championed large-format film in recent years, helping introduce mainstream audiences to the unique visual experience that IMAX film can provide.

The excitement surrounding The Odyssey has already reached impressive levels. The film’s status as the first feature shot entirely on IMAX film has helped turn ticket sales into a phenomenon. Demand has reportedly been so intense that ticketing platforms have crashed, while some resale listings have reached prices as high as $1,000.

The movie even has a fittingly IMAX Camera popcorn bucket to celebrate its historic achievement. For Matt Damon, who stars as Odysseus, working on the film felt like stepping back into a version of Hollywood that may soon disappear.

"It was a really weird movie for me personally in the sense that I had almost a nostalgic feeling the entire time I was making it, because it felt like the movies when I started working. And I know that that’s going away," Damon told GQ. "I knew that this was the last chance I was going to have to do something like this."

That sentiment adds another layer to what Nolan is accomplishing with The Odyssey. Beyond adapting one of the most famous stories ever told, he’s also preserving a style of filmmaking that has become increasingly rare.

Whether you're a dedicated film nerd or simply someone excited to see Odysseus' epic journey brought to life, Nolan’s breakdown offers a newfound respect for the incredible amount of work that goes into every frame of IMAX film.

Alongside Damon, The Odyssey features an all-star cast that includes Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, and Anne Hathaway.

We'll finally get to experience the results when The Odyssey arrives in theaters on July 17.

@guywithamoviecamera this is how IMAX film goes from a film set to the movie theaters!! #ChristopherNolan #TheOdyssey #IMAX @The Odyssey Movie ♬ original sound - reece