The Odyssey is a Greek epic, so it should come as no surprise that Christopher Nolan didn't make his adaptation on the upcoming 2026 movie schedule brief. It appears the runtime may have leaked for the star-studded blockbuster. And if this runtime of somewhere between two hours and forty minutes and two hours and fifty-two minutes is accurate, readers might want to have their bathroom breaks and snack selections sorted out beforehand.
News comes from Reddit, which shared a screenshot from AMC's website showing two different runtimes. It's wild to say twelve minutes feels like such a monumental difference, but it feels like the difference between a standard Marvel movie and a three-hour affair in this instance. That being said, is this really that unexpected from a cinematic legend like Nolan? I had to investigate and prepare for what to expect ahead of The Odyssey's release date.
How Does The Odyssey's Runtime Measure Up To Other Christopher Nolan Films?
Assuming the longest leaked runtime for The Odyssey is accurate, it would be the second-longest movie Christopher Nolan has directed. Coming in a handful of minutes short of Oppenheimer's runtime, which feels appropriate given both are heavier serious movies.
If it's the lesser runtime, then it's only Nolan's fourth longest movie, with Interstellar and The Dark Knight Rises sliding in front of it. It's odd to think about, because I feel like both those movies feel longer/shorter to me on their own, and I think it'll come down to how much action we get versus dialogue. The only thing we know for sure is that Nolan believes he put his best work into it, so maybe the movie will fly by in any case.
It'd Still Take Longer To Read The Odyssey If It's Any Consolation
The Odyssey might have a long runtime, but for those who might be tagging along with a friend or significant other griping about the runtime, just remind them that it'd take much longer to read the book. HowLongToRead.com clocked it at taking six to seven hours to read in its entirety, depending on your reading speed.
More On The Odyssey
I would say this is the case with most book-to-movie adaptations, and honestly, not a huge talking point. Of course, the same could be said about the runtime of The Odyssey. Because at the end of the day, isn't a good movie as long as it needs to be? Ultimately we're all just hoping it lives up to the hype and prestige that Christopher Nolan is known for. I'm just hoping it measures up to the amount of IMAX film used to shoot it, because otherwise, that's more money potentially down the drain.
Hype remains strong in the film world for The Odyssey, and I'm sure speculation is already underway about how many Oscars it'll be nominated for. The bar is high for it to clear, and while we have no way of knowing if this cinematic epic will clear it, we do have two potential runtimes!
The Odyssey is in theaters on July 17th. As we eagerly wait for its release date, I'm loving the stories from the set, including Tom Holland and Matt Damon being jealous of the compliment Zendaya got from Christopher Nolan.
