The Odyssey is shaping up to be the movie event of the summer. While it may not be Christopher Nolan‘s most expensive movie, it is arguably his most important.

The Odyssey reportedly had a $250 million production budget, making it one of Nolan’s most expensive directorial efforts. Emma Thomas, Nolan’s wife and producing partner, denied that report while still acknowledging the film’s massive scope.

“It’s not our most expensive movie, but the film is enormous,” Thomas said in an interview with Time.

In terms of budget, The Odyssey was set to match The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan’s third Batman movie’s budget came in between $250 million and $300 million, with tax credits taking the total closer to $230 million.

After Thomas’ comments about The Odyssey, The Dark Knight Rises is now believed to be Nolan’s most expensive movie. However, it’s hard to put a number on The Odyssey’s value to Nolan and the film community.

Why is The Odyssey Christopher Nolan’s most important movie

In Hollywood, Nolan is a unicorn. He’s constantly raising the bar in terms of the size and scale of his productions. Nolan turned Oppenheimer, a three-hour biopic about a theoretical physicist, into an Oscar-winning juggernaut and a nearly billion-dollar hit. Now, The Odyssey’s expectations are through the roof, and many expect Nolan to deliver it.

Nolan is a trailblazer in how movies are shot. The Odyssey is the first movie to be filmed entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. If The Odyssey becomes a global hit, and it likely will, it opens the door for more prestigious filmmakers to shoot their films in IMAX, which only adds to the theatrical experience.

Speaking of theaters, Nolan is the rare filmmaker who can sell a movie to audiences on his name alone. It also helps that his movies feature A-list casts, The Odyssey being no different. Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron are the stars of The Odyssey.

The theater business has yet to return to the highs it reached before COVID. However, Nolan has helped propel the box office forward as a champion of theaters. If The Odyssey’s box-office haul can approach $1 billion, it will cement Nolan as the signature filmmaker of his generation.

 “It is a global story that has existed for thousands of years,” Universal’s Donna Langley told Time. “That, coupled with Christopher Nolan’s name and what that means for cinema, which we know means a lot, and an all-star cast, it makes for a very worthy and solid commercial bet.” 

The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17, 2026.