A nearly six-minute prologue from Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic The Odyssey leaked online on December 12, just hours after its exclusive debut in select IMAX theatres. The footage, which was intended to screen exclusively ahead of 70mm IMAX presentations of Sinners and One Battle After Another, quickly circulated on social media platforms including X and TikTok before Universal Pictures began issuing copyright takedowns.

Battle of Troy Sequence Draws Praise

The leaked footage centres on the legendary Trojan Horse sequence, featuring Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus. According to multiple reports, the prologue opens with Menelaus asking Telemachus if he knows the story of the horse "from the inside," before cutting to Greek soldiers concealed within the wooden structure as it's dragged into Troy.

The sequence showcases Trojan guards jabbing swords through the horse, narrowly missing the hidden warriors, before Odysseus leads a nighttime assault to open the city gates. The prologue concludes with quick flashes of action, including a brief glimpse of the Cyclops Polyphemus.

Social media reactions to the leaked footage were largely enthusiastic, with viewers praising Ludwig Göransson's score and the film's scale. Film critic Dan Marcus wrote that the prologue represents "the closest in tone to Dunkirk out of Nolan's films" and called it "some of the most suspenseful six minutes I've seen all year". Another viewer described it as "ancient, heavy, and tense," comparing it favourably to the 2004 film Troy.

First Film Shot Entirely on IMAX

The Odyssey marks cinematic history as the first narrative feature shot entirely using IMAX film cameras. The technology became possible through newly developed cameras that are 30 per cent quieter than previous models, allowing Nolan to capture dialogue scenes previously impossible with the notoriously loud IMAX equipment.

A shorter version of the prologue is scheduled to screen before all IMAX showings of James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash beginning December 19. The full film, which adapts Homer's epic poem about Odysseus's journey home from the Trojan War, is set for release on July 17, 2026. The ensemble cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong'o.