From Homer's epic to Nolan's Odyssey

Christopher Nolan spent his 56th birthday far from Hollywood, standing inside a packed Beijing theater as hundreds of moviegoers surprised him with a Mandarin rendition of Happy Birthday.

The moment came during the Beijing premiere of The Odyssey on July 30. Visibly touched, the Oscar-winning director smiled quietly, rested his chin in his hand, and softly mouthed, "Thank you."

Standing beside him were Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, king of Ithaca; Charlize Theron, who portrays the immortal nymph Calypso; and Emma Thomas, Nolan's wife and the film's producer. They also learned to say "Happy Birthday" in Chinese, drawing laughter and applause from the audience.

The warm welcome underscores Nolan's enduring popularity in China, where his films have cultivated a loyal following over the past two decades.

Ahead of the film's nationwide release on Aug 14, the more-than-170-minute epic received exclusive preview screenings in IMAX and CINITY formats at select theaters in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, on Aug 1 and 2. Most screenings sold out within a short time, leaving only a handful of seats in the front rows.

At the China National Film Museum, home to Beijing's largest IMAX screen, every seat was snapped up despite ticket prices exceeding 183 yuan ($27.1), far above the national average ticket price of 41.1 yuan for films released in China during the first half of this year.

For Nolan, whose films have bagged 18 Oscars, The Odyssey marks the most ambitious project of a career that includes both critically acclaimed and commercially successful blockbusters, including The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), and Oppenheimer (2023).

Adapted from Homer's ancient Greek epic, the film employs Nolan's signature nonlinear storytelling, unfolding along two intertwined narratives. One follows Odysseus' perilous 10-year voyage home after the Trojan War. The other centers on his son, Telemachus, who desperately searches for signs that his father is still alive as Ithaca falls into turmoil.

Back home, a pack of power-hungry princes and noblemen have occupied the royal palace, pressuring Queen Penelope to remarry so one of them can seize the throne.

Known for his passion for cinema from a young age, Nolan first read Homer's poems — widely regarded as the foundation of Western literature — during his elementary school days.

The director was captivated by the masterpiece's fantastical elements, ranging from the Cyclops, a one-eyed giant, to the Sirens, mythological creatures who cause sailors to run aground by enchanting them with songs.