The Leaked Odyssey Trailer Just Gave Us a Glimpse Into Nolan's Next Epic
In what's now basically a tradition, the first teaser for Christopher Nolan's next film, The Odyssey, has leaked online ahead of its official release.
Shot on phones from early screenings of Jurassic World Rebirth, the 70-second teaser began popping up on TikTok and X this week — and was promptly nuked by copyright takedowns.
It's the usual Nolan rollout: theatrical exclusivity, a cryptic preview over a year in advance, and zero intention of releasing anything online... until the fans do it for him.
Universal hasn't commented yet, but the strategy is nothing new. Nolan left Warner Bros. after they dumped their 2021 slate onto HBO Max, and ever since, he's doubled down on theatrical-first promotion. Like with Oppenheimer, which went on to win Best Picture, the teaser is screening in select theaters only — for now.
But let's be real: no one's here for distribution drama. Here's what we know so far.
The teaser shows:
- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Tom Holland as his son Telemachus
- Jon Bernthal as a mystery character (with a beard and a lot of yelling)
- Possibly Robert Pattinson narrating
- Two blink-and-you'll-miss-it shots of the Trojan Horse
- And a shipwrecked Odysseus clinging to life on a pile of driftwood
The tone? Bleak. Oceanic. Everyone's either missing, dead, or screaming about rumors. Pattinson's voice kicks it off with:
"Darkness. Zeus' laws smashed to pieces. A kingdom without a king since my master died."
Later, Bernthal's character, in peak rage-whisper mode, bellows to a campfire crowd:
"Some say he's rich or some say he's poor. Some say he perished. Some say he's imprisoned. What say you?"
The teaser ends with Odysseus lost at sea and a title card: The Odyssey – 17.07.26.
That's right — Nolan's latest won't hit theaters until July 17, 2026. But we're already getting grainy vertical previews two years out. Naturally.
The film is currently in production and comes with a predictably massive cast, including:
- Anne Hathaway
- Zendaya
- Lupita Nyong'o
- Charlize Theron
- Elliot Page
- Himesh Patel
- Benny Safdie
- Mia Goth
- Corey Hawkins
- Cosmo Jarvis
- John Leguizamo
And probably half the Screen Actors Guild by the time it wraps
Also, in case it wasn't Nolan enough already, The Odyssey is reportedly being shot entirely in IMAX, making it the first large-scale production to do so from start to finish. Because subtlety is for amateurs.
As of now, the official teaser hasn't dropped online — but give it a few weeks (or hours). Leaks tend to speed up release plans, and if Nolan really wants this one to stay in theaters only, he's going to have to fight the entire internet. Again.