Universal Launches Oscar Campaign for Christopher Nolan's Hit Film The Odyssey

Universal is giving the epic film The Odyssey roughly ten weeks to secure a spot on the Academy Awards ballot. The studio's official Oscar campaign kicks off the week of November 9 with a series of screenings and question-and-answer sessions featuring director Christopher Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and star Matt Damon.

Screenings And Moderators

Robert Downey Jr. will moderate the Los Angeles kickoff event on November 11 at the TCL Chinese Theatre following an Imax 70mm screening. Guillermo del Toro will lead a session at the AMC Universal CityWalk on November 12, while Steven Spielberg will interview Nolan at the DGA Theater on November 17 during a 70mm screening.

Box Office And Formats

The film opened in July with a global debut of $264.1 million, setting a career record for Nolan, and has since crossed $1.1 billion in total earnings. The studio is emphasizing theatrical formats by scheduling screenings in Imax 70mm, 70mm, and 35mm to remind voters that the movie was shot entirely on Imax film cameras.

Making-Of Documentary

On November 10, the Spielberg Theater will host the world premiere of a 75-minute documentary titled Behind the Scenes of The Odyssey, introduced by Nolan with a post-screening Q&A moderated by Matt Damon. The panel will feature producer Emma Thomas alongside various crew members including composer Ludwig Göransson and editor Jennifer Lame.

Context

Studios frequently run intensive screening schedules and panel events in the final months of the year to keep major films fresh in the minds of Academy voters before voting begins. While blockbuster movies achieve massive box office success, very few films crossing the one-billion-dollar mark have historically won the Academy Award for Best Picture, though Nolan's previous film Oppenheimer successfully secured the top prize at the 2025 ceremony.