Universal schedules 10 screenings to push Odyssey toward the 2027 Oscars
Christopher Nolan and Matt Damon will face voters across three continents starting next week, with seven Academy Award winners moderating key Q&As.
By Henry Castro ·
The studio’s Oscar campaign for Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” begins the week of November 9.
Universal Pictures has scheduled a series of screenings and question-and-answer sessions to introduce the film to Academy voters. The company aims to secure the film’s place on the ballot within roughly ten weeks. The film opened in July with a $264.1 million global debut, the largest in Nolan’s career. It has since passed the $1.1 billion mark, making it his highest-grossing release.
The campaign emphasizes the film’s format. Most Los Angeles screenings are presented in Imax 70mm, 70mm, or 35mm. The film was shot entirely on Imax film cameras. The goal is to remind voters that the movie was built for large screens, not for the digital portal often used for home viewing.
Robert Downey Jr. will moderate the Los Angeles kickoff on November 11 at the TCL Chinese Theatre. He won the supporting actor Oscar for “Oppenheimer” in 2024. Guillermo del Toro will moderate a session at AMC Universal CityWalk on November 12. Steven Spielberg will host a 70mm screening at the DGA Theater on November 17. These three moderators collectively hold seven Academy statuettes.
Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and star Matt Damon will appear in front of voters nearly every night for two weeks. On November 14, Damon will share a Q&A with Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Zendaya, Himesh Patel, and Elliot Page at the Academy Museum.
A world premiere for “Behind the Scenes of The Odyssey” is set for November 10 at Universal’s Spielberg Theater. Nolan will introduce the 75-minute documentary. Damon will moderate the subsequent Q&A, which will feature key crew members including editor Jennifer Lame, production designer Ruth De Jong, and composer Ludwig Göransson.
Screenings are also scheduled in New York, San Francisco, London, Rome, Copenhagen, Berlin, Madrid, Melbourne, Wellington, and Rio de Janeiro. The first event takes place at the AMC Lincoln Square on November 9. The campaign lists potential nominations for categories including best picture, director, adapted screenplay, actor, and supporting actor.
Variety notes that only two films that crossed $1 billion have won best picture: “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” won best picture and director at the 2025 ceremony.
Source: Variety
