Christopher Nolan jokes ‘Batman Begins’ was a backup plan for ‘Troy’
Director teases how his ancient Greek epic dream finally comes true with 'The Odyssey'
After two decades, Christopher Nolan is finally taking audiences to ancient Greece with his upcoming adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey.
The two-time Oscar winner recently told Empire that directing Batman Begins back in 2005 was something of a “consolation prize” after a shuffle of studio projects.
Originally, Nolan had been hired to helm Troy, but when director Wolfgang Petersen returned to the project following Warner Bros.’ cancellation of Batman vs. Superman, Nolan was handed the Dark Knight reins instead.
“I was originally hired by Warner Bros. to direct Troy,” Nolan said. “Certain images, particularly how I wanted to handle the Trojan horse… they’ve been at the back of my mind for a very long time.”
Following the massive success of Oppenheimer (2023), which won seven Oscars and earned over $975 million worldwide, Nolan announced The Odyssey as his next big project with Universal, aiming to bring the weight and scale of classical myth to IMAX.
“As a filmmaker, you’re looking for gaps in cinematic culture,” Nolan explained. “I’d never seen this done with the sort of weight and credibility an A-budget Hollywood IMAX production could bring.”
The Odyssey is set to premiere in IMAX on July 17, 2026.
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