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Nolan's “The Odyssey” Debuts UAE July 17 Amid Cast Controversy

5/23/2026

Summary

Nolan Defends

The Odyssey opens in United Arab Emirates cinemas on July 17, 2026.
Running 2 hours 53 minutes, film is Director Christopher Nolan’s second-longest and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Charlize Theron, Zendaya and Benny Safdie.
Backlash over Nyong’o’s role and Pattinson’s “daddy” line prompted Director Christopher Nolan to defend his choices in a Time interview and to announce 70 mm IMAX tickets on sale in July.

Summary

Nolan Highlights Runtime

Nolan called *The Odyssey* the biggest film he has ever made in a 60 Minutes interview.
Universal Pictures factored the sub-three-hour runtime into its release strategy to maximize theater time slots.
The shorter runtime lets AMC and IMAX schedule additional daily showings, potentially boosting ticket sales.
The runtime was briefly posted on AMC’s website before being removed, hinting at a controlled marketing rollout.

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Nolan Defends

The Odyssey opens in United Arab Emirates cinemas on July 17, 2026.
Running 2 hours 53 minutes, film is Director Christopher Nolan’s second-longest and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Charlize Theron, Zendaya and Benny Safdie.
Backlash over Nyong’o’s role and Pattinson’s “daddy” line prompted Director Christopher Nolan to defend his choices in a Time interview and to announce 70 mm IMAX tickets on sale in July.

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