Christopher Nolan Just Brought Homer to IMAX — And July Isn't Done Yet
The Odyssey lands on July 17 with a $250 million budget, the most stacked cast of the year, and the first film ever shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. Plus Jonah Hill's counter-programming comedy, Moana's second weekend, and the July gauntlet rolls on.
If you thought June was the main event, July just respectfully disagreed. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the kind of movie that doesn't just open — it arrives. And this week, it arrives everywhere.
Let's break down what's hitting theaters, what's holding strong, and what's still coming before August.
The Main Event: The Odyssey (July 17)
Christopher Nolan adapting Homer's Odyssey. $250 million budget. The first narrative film ever shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. A cast that reads like someone let a 12-year-old pick their dream roster:
- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Anne Hathaway as Penelope
- Tom Holland as Telemachus
- Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Jon Bernthal
- Plus Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, and Travis Scott — because why not
Nolan's been building toward this for his entire career. From The Dark Knight's 28 minutes of IMAX footage to Dunkirk's 75% to Oppenheimer's 70% — The Odyssey is the logical endgame: 100% IMAX, every single frame. The six-minute prologue that debuted in theaters last December had audiences standing and clapping.
This is Nolan's most expensive film by far. Oppenheimer cost $100 million and made $952 million. The Odyssey costs $250 million. Universal is betting that Nolan's name alone can turn a 3,000-year-old poem into a summer tentpole.
Anticipation: 10/10. Not even close.
The Counter-Program: Cut Off (July 17)
Because somebody has to open opposite Nolan. Jonah Hill directs and stars in Cut Off, a comedy about two wealthy siblings who get financially cut off by their parents. Kristen Wiig, Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, Camila Cabello, and Chelsea Peretti round out the cast.
Warner Bros. is betting on counter-programming — if you're not in the mood for a three-hour Greek epic in IMAX, here's a comedy. It's a bold play. Hill's directorial debut Mid90s showed real talent behind the camera. Whether he can compete for attention against Nolan's media gravity is another question entirely.
Anticipation: 6/10. Good cast, tough date.
Still in Theaters
| Film | Week | Status | |------|------|--------| | Moana (Live-Action) | 2 | Second weekend holds will tell us if Disney's remake magic is still working | | Minions & Monsters | 3 | Illumination's latest printing money as expected | | Supergirl | 4 | DCU's second film winding down — solid run | | Toy Story 5 | 5 | Long legs, approaching $440M domestic tracking |
Moana's second weekend is the one to watch. Disney's live-action remakes have been on a downward trajectory (The Lion King $1.66B → Aladdin $1.05B → The Little Mermaid $569M). Moana's holds will tell us if the live-action playbook still works or if audiences are moving on.
Coming Soon
July isn't slowing down. Here's what's next:
July 24 — Evil Dead Burn. Director Sébastien Vaniček (who turned heads with the French Evil Dead entry Evil Dead Rise... wait, that was Lee Cronin) brings the franchise back with Hunter Doohan and Souheila Yacoub. The sixth Evil Dead installment. Sam Raimi's baby keeps finding new directors who understand it.
July 31 — Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tom Holland returns. Zendaya returns. Sadie Sink joins. Jon Bernthal as the Punisher. Michael Mando as the Scorpion. Destin Daniel Cretton directs. This is the one everyone's been waiting for — Spider-Man's return to the MCU after No Way Home broke the internet. July ends with the biggest superhero event of the year.
The Bottom Line
July 2026 is relentless. Last week Disney brought Moana to life. This week Nolan brings Homer to IMAX. Next week Evil Dead burns it all down. And then Spider-Man closes out the month with what might be the biggest opening weekend of the entire summer.
Four straight weeks of event-level releases. Your schedule — and your wallet — don't stand a chance. See you at the IMAX.
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