Christopher Nolan calls India the World's most passionate movie audience at The Odyssey Mumbai event

Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan visited Mumbai along with producer Emma Thomas and actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland as part of the international promotional tour for The Odyssey. The team attended a special event ahead of the film's release on July 17, 2026.

During the press conference, Nolan shared why it was important for him to include India in the film's global promotions.

Why India matters to Nolan

Nolan recalled his first visit to Mumbai several years ago when he attended a conference on the future of cinema. During that trip, he met many Indian filmmakers and learned more about the country's film culture.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joe Bentham (@hzjoe03)

He said he has never seen audiences who appreciate cinema the way Indian viewers do. According to Nolan, India's love for movies made it an obvious choice to bring The Odyssey to Mumbai.

A visit delayed by the pandemic

The director revealed that he had planned to visit Mumbai during the release of Tenet, which was partly filmed in the city. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced those plans to be cancelled.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Esquire India (@esquireindia)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by IIFA Awards (@iifa)

Nolan said he was happy that he could finally return to India and celebrate the new film with Indian audiences.

Filming in India was a special experience

Nolan also spoke about shooting in Mumbai and Jodhpur. He described both locations as visually stunning and said every corner offered something beautiful to capture on camera.

He also praised Indian film crews for their professionalism and said working with local technicians was a wonderful experience.

Shot entirely with IMAX cameras

Talking about The Odyssey, Nolan said it is his first film to be shot completely using the latest IMAX cameras. He explained that the newer cameras are much quieter, allowing actors to perform emotional scenes more naturally.

He also welcomed the growing number of IMAX and premium large-format theatres in India, saying they will give audiences the best possible viewing experience.

About The Odyssey

Produced by Universal Pictures, The Odyssey is based on Homer's famous Greek epic poem. Matt Damon plays Odysseus, while Tom Holland stars as Telemachus and Anne Hathaway plays Penelope. The cast also includes Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal.

The film will release in India on July 17, 2026, in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

- PTC PUNJABI