Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey for Universal Pictures could coast the studio more than $250 million, and that’s just the start.
Shatter your banks and collect the couch change, Universal, because the budget for Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey is shaping up to be his most expensive film ever. According to Matthew Belloni’s Puck newsletter report, Nolan’s upcoming epic could cost $250 million, similar to The Dark Knight’s $250-300 million budget. While $250 million is on par with Nolan’s second Batman film, that number could go higher as unexpected costs and marketing dollars come into play.
While many of us could only dream about that kind of cash, it reminds me that 2015’s Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, cost a reported $440 million to produce. Imagine coughing up that amount of scratch for anything, let alone a new Star Wars film. Nolan’s supposed budget for The Odyssey doesn’t come close to the amount for The Force Awakens. Still, the project’s hefty price tag speaks volumes about Universal’s confidence in the filmmaker’s ability to deliver a box-office blockbuster.
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek poem by Homer that tells the tale of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his journey home after the ten-year Trojan War. The trip was perilous, including encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe. At home, Odysseus is presumed dead, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must contend with groups of unruly suitors who each want Penelope’s hand in marriage to control the kingdom.
The Odyssey features an all-star cast that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. Could Damon play Odysseus? We’ll need to wait and see.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey plans to shoot around the globe using new IMAX technology, a prospect with cinephiles salivating. Nolan, of course, is one of the biggest proponents of the IMAX film format. He’s known to push the limits of what IMAX can capture on screens, pairing superior visual presentation with dynamic audio design that leaves general theater sound systems in the dust.
Are you at all surprised by the budget for The Odyssey? What do you think the final cost of the film will be? Let us know in the comments section below.
