film producer Christopher Nolan brought a lot of excitement to Mumbai during the premiere of his much-awaited film The Odyssey, but it was an unexpected joke about Tom Holland that became the biggest attraction of Saturday morning. Speaking to the media, the Oscar-winning filmmaker mixed heartfelt words with his signature dry humor, laughing out loud as he addressed Tom Holland’s rare box office face-off with himself.
Christopher Nolan jokes about Tom Holland’s two summer releases
During the press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, Christopher Nolan talked about the power of cinema to connect people from different cultures and why he was thrilled to bring The Odyssey to Indian audiences.
Calling the film a story based on timeless themes that can “bring us together”, the director expressed how special it was to travel and share the film with audiences around the world. He said that visiting Mumbai was wonderful, almost saying “far from home”, a cheeky nod to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: Far From Home which made the audience laugh instantly.
He said, “I just like to think that movies are a universal language. That’s one of the reasons. What I enjoy most about working on large-scale movies is that you take them around the world and you connect with different cultures around the world. And I think that’s when movies really connect, when they have a universal theme and a kind of timeless theme, as I hope The Odyssey does. It’s amazing how it brings us together, And for us to go on the road and travel and come here, you know.
Christopher then delivered the biggest laugh of the evening, saying, “So I was going to say, ‘Far from home.’ I didn’t want to. I was just going to say, ‘Far from home…if you only see one Tom Holland movie this summer..'” The joke referred to Holland starring in both The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with the superhero film hitting Indian theaters only two weeks later on July 30.
Christopher Nolan, Tom Holland and Matt Damon reach Mumbai
The event was the first official India premiere of a Christopher Nolan film. Film producer arrived Mumbai with his wife and producer Emma Thomas and actors Tom Holland and Matt Damon on July 10. The team checked into the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel before attending the grand premiere at PVR ICON IMAX, Phoenix Palladium.
Welcoming the audience, Nolan shared his excitement and said, “You are among the first audiences in the world to see this film.”
about odyssey
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey is an epic fantasy action film inspired by Homer’s classic Greek poem. The story follows King Odysseus (Matt Damon), who battles monsters, mythical creatures, and impossible odds during his ten-year journey to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Along with the grand adventure, the film also explores the emotional love story between Odysseus and his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway).
Tom Holland plays Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, while the cast also includes Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Samantha Morton. Relying on Nolan’s vision, several actors reportedly signed on to the project before even knowing which characters they would play.
Odyssey will be released in theaters worldwide on July 17, 2026. The film will be available in multiple formats, including IMAX 2D and 4DX, and has also received approval from the Indian… The Censor Board gave it an ‘A’ rating without any cuts.