All posts tagged: christopher nolan

The Odyssey’s Himesh Patel Would Follow Matt Damon Into War

The Odyssey’s Himesh Patel Would Follow Matt Damon Into War

Published by Sam Flores

We’ve got Autumn Durald Arkapaw, recent Academy Award winner, who shot the pilot. It looks stunning. It’s what Ryan has always done: he sets a high bar. I think it’s gonna be really special. Hopefully special enough to get us a series. You’re in the biggest movie of the summer, so we’re all watching you. But what have you been watching this summer? I’ve just started Widow’s Bay, I’m four episodes in. Hiro [Murai] texted me when he saw The Odyssey and I said, “Thanks, and thanks for absolutely terrifying me shitless with that clown in episode two.” What was that?! Hiro’s so good, that balance he has between comedy and genuine horror, it’s brilliant. One minute, thinking, “That’s really creepy, and terrifying.” Next minute, I’m laughing. He’s a special guy. Matthew Rhys is great, Stephen Root, always amazing. I’m really enjoying it. Did Nolan or Coogler ask you to watch anything in preparation for your roles in their respective projects? If not, are there any films you pulled from when shaping the character or …

10 Books to Read Before Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

10 Books to Read Before Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Published by Jenni Sidey

Film adaptations usually send a trickle of readers back to the source. Nolan’s The Odyssey has sent a flood. The numbers are genuinely unusual: Emily Wilson’s translation has passed a million US copies and reached No. 2 on the overall bestseller list, while Publishers Weekly reported Robert Fagles’s rival translation up 93 per cent and Madeline Miller’s Circe up 128 per cent in the same week. Which raises a practical question for anyone holding a ticket. The poem is long, the mythology is dense, and the film assumes a certain amount of knowledge. Here are ten books to read before Nolan’s The Odyssey, ordered by how much work each one actually does for you. The Two Essentials Before Nolan’s The Odyssey 1. The Odyssey by Homer. Obviously. The only real decision is whose English you read it in, and that decision matters more than most people expect. Wilson’s 2017 version is fast, plain and metrically disciplined, which is why it has become the default. Fagles is more theatrical. Lattimore is the most literal. We have …

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Is Now His Highest-Grossing Movie Ever

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Is Now His Highest-Grossing Movie Ever

Published by Daniella Wilson

Christopher Nolan has conquered his previous titles with The Odyssey, as the recent Universal Pictures release is now the highest-grossing movie of the acclaimed filmmaker’s career. The studio confirmed Sunday that the mythological epic has made $1.104 billion worldwide in its first month in theaters following its initial July 17 release. This surpasses 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, which earned $1.085 billion, and 2008’s The Dark Knight at $1.005 billion, as Warner Bros.’ two Batman films had previously held the top spots on the list of the director’s biggest global sums. As of Sunday, The Odyssey has collected $461.1 million domestically and landed in second place for the weekend behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus on his arduous journey home after the Trojan War, the film also stars Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson, marking the highest-grossing movie globally for Damon, Hathaway and Pattinson’s careers. Nolan and Emma Thomas produce for Syncopy. The adaptation of Homer’s ancient poem is now the second-highest-grossing R-rated film domestically and globally, behind only 2024’s …

Second Weekend Sets 10-Day Record

Second Weekend Sets 10-Day Record

Published by Daniella Wilson

Spider-Man: Brand New Day keeps flying high, as Sony Pictures‘ superhero blockbuster starring Tom Holland and Zendaya has more reasons to celebrate with its second weekend at the box office. Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton‘s movie grossed $43 million on Friday as it looks to collect $143 million for its sophomore frame and remain atop the chart, with a weekend decline around 60 percent. If that projection holds, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will nab the third-best domestic second weekend ever. The studio is estimating that the film will bring its North American total to $653 million by Sunday, giving it the highest 10-day domestic sum in box office history. Star Wars: The Force Awakens holds the record for the best domestic second weekend after collecting $149.2 million in 2015. Avengers: Endgame looks to remain at No. 2 with its follow-up frame of $147.3 million after opening in April 2019. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has soared with its record-setting launch, having landed the highest-grossing first week in domestic box office history. The film surpassed $500 million in …

The Chinese Philosopher Americans Can’t Stop Fighting About

The Chinese Philosopher Americans Can’t Stop Fighting About

Published by skeptic

Yiyang Zhuge learned last week that when you go extremely viral, the people you have been following for years suddenly start following you back. Zhuge logged onto X and found that a string of famous professors and scholars were in her list of new followers. A PhD candidate in political philosophy at Boston College, Zhuge had previously only lurked on X to keep up with the latest debates and gossip in academia. The vast majority of her social media activity happens on the Chinese internet, where she goes by the alias Zhong Shu and hosts a popular podcast with hundreds of thousands of loyal listeners. Late last month, Zhuge, who is in her late twenties, interviewed Christopher Nolan, one of the most influential directors in Hollywood, who was in Beijing promoting The Odyssey. Rather than asking about celebrities or Hollywood, Zhuge posed a series of deeply philosophical questions to Nolan about the Christianization of Greek philosophy and how to portray heroes in films. The first thing she asked: “Are you a bard for a civilization …

Travis Scott Turned IMAX HQ Into His Own Odyssey Utopia

Travis Scott Turned IMAX HQ Into His Own Odyssey Utopia

Published by Jenni Sidey

A film! A screening! A music video! Pull up a chair for a song about an unassuming Wednesday night in Los Angeles, whereupon Travis Scott made the hardest movie to see right now readily accessible to a select blessed few, and then flexed a little at the end of the evening for added measure. The Odyssey is heading into its third weekend and remains the hottest ticket in town (every town, across the country); at this moment, scoring a spot in a premium-format theater is the hardest reservation to land in any given American city.. With every good IMAX seat in LA spoken for, Travis Scott upped the ante by bringing us out to the actual IMAX headquarters. The rapper—and now thanks to Christopher Nolan, thespian—celebrated his role in the biggest movie of the year with a special screening for friends, family and select fans last night in LA, where he also debuted the music video for his The Odyssey end-credits track “When I’m Home.” Even though he’s got a SAG card now, Travis is …

‘The Odyssey’: Even Himesh Patel Was Surprised By How Big His Role Turned Out To Be

‘The Odyssey’: Even Himesh Patel Was Surprised By How Big His Role Turned Out To Be

Published by Jenni Sidey

The Odyssey isn’t Himesh Patel’s first go-round with Christopher Nolan. The Emmy-nominated actor debuted in the Nolan-verse with a supporting role in 2020’s Tenet — but this one feels different. (And it’s not just because of the pandemic’s impact on the time-bending film.) The Odyssey is already a record-breaking sensation that has become the hottest ticket in the world. And, in a sea of A-list stars and talented actors, Patel has earned universal praise, whether it’s for his beard or his standout performance as Eurylochus, the right-hand man to Odysseus (Matt Damon) who starts to question his captain’s decisions. “Nothing could have prepared me for the amazing response that we’ve had in every way since the movie came out; it’s been quite overwhelming,” Patel confesses over Zoom, his beard looking as strong as ever. “On a personal level, I’ve been really heartened by it. I’m not someone who thinks too much about what people are going to think about me, because I’m just so grateful to be a part of a movie like this, but …

Christopher Nolan isn’t into Uggs. But you should be

Christopher Nolan isn’t into Uggs. But you should be

Published by Jenni Sidey

At the risk of sounding obvious: Making The Odyssey was no walk in the park. In the film, Odysseus and his army go on a wild bender across Ithaca, Troy, and the rest of it by foot and Viking longship. For the cast, that meant schlepping across six countries—Morocco, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Scotland and the US—to embrace what director Christopher Nolan called the “physicality of the real world.” We would probably call it a recipe for plantar fasciitis. “Running through Troy, you know, it’s all stone. You’re in these sandals, and they’re very real,” Matt Damon told SiriusXM recently. It makes sense, then, that, in-between takes, you would really want to kick back in a trailer and wear a big, fluffy pair of boots. Perhaps even a nice pair of Uggs. After all that acting, you’ve really earned that shearling-lining. Absolutely not, says Nolan. Speaking to CBS last week, the director revealed he had a “No Uggs On Set” policy. Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt had, apparently, wanted to turn up in something comfy. But …

‘The Odyssey’ Can’t Be Screened in 70mm IMAX Without Huge, Ancient Projectors. Here’s What It Takes to Keep Them Running

‘The Odyssey’ Can’t Be Screened in 70mm IMAX Without Huge, Ancient Projectors. Here’s What It Takes to Keep Them Running

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s becoming easier, lately, to keep those procedures active, thanks to Nolan films like Oppenheimer and The Odyssey—currently sold out at IMAX Melbourne all the way to Sept. 6—but also a string of recent IMAX 70mm releases capitalizing on audience interest. Dune Part Two, Sinners, One Battle After Another, and Project Hail Mary have all played to packed crowds itching for IMAX 70mm even when the movie itself was shot digitally (the less said about Joker: Follie à Deux the better). Dune Part Three, which features footage shot on IMAX film cameras, will no doubt continue the trend late this year. And the audiences aren’t just boomers nostalgic for the days of film, either. “Some people have never seen film projected,” Ford says, noting that many young movie fans grew up after film projection had died out in the early-‘10s. “I suppose it’s curiosity to see what it’s like.” Ford even fields complaints from some of those patrons, particularly about the flicker produced by the shutter. But the complaints are few and far between. “There’s …

The Odyssey Holds Strong for Huge Second Weekend at Box Office

The Odyssey Holds Strong for Huge Second Weekend at Box Office

Published by Daniella Wilson

The Odyssey’s box office journey is not slowing down as it sailed past $600 million globally this weekend. After notching $123.5 million domestically last weekend, the Christopher Nolan epic brought in another $87 million million at the domestic box office. That’s a decline of just 30 percent, an extremely good hold for a blockbuster. In terms of holds, that’s the third best ever for a film that opened to more than $100 million, behind only Wicked and Top Gun: Maverick. It’s $87 million sum is the second best weekend two ever for an R-rated film, behind Deadpool & Wolverine‘s $97 million two years ago. It’s domestic total will end the weekend at an estimated $286.4 million, while it’s global total should hit $639.9 million. The news was good for Disney this weekend as well, with holdover Toy Story 5 passed $1 billion, to now rank as the No. 6 Pixar release of all time. No new wide release braved the waters this weekend, with studios preferring to stay out of the wake of Universal and …