Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey finally gets epic runtime confirmed – as Lupita Nyong'o responds to toxic backlash

There are only two months to go until the biggest blockbuster event of the summer.

Matt Damon as Odysseus in The Odyssey running across a rocky shoreline.

Universal Studios

Published: Friday, 22 May 2026 at 10:46 am

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Given that its source material is one of the most well-known epics of all time, it always seemed likely that Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey would have a lengthy run-time – and so it has proved.

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It's just been revealed that the film will weigh in at 172 minutes, which means we can look forward to almost three hours of action when the movie arrives in cinemas worldwide on Friday 17 July.

While that runtime has not been officially announced per se, it was briefly posted on the website for major US cinema chain AMC before being taken down. So while there's still a slim chance that length could be wrong, it's the closest we've come to a concrete time.

Although undoubtedly long, this actually makes the film slightly shorter than Nolan's previous effort, the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer, which hit the three-hour barrier. Still, it seems unlikely any fans will complain that they're not getting enough in cinemas.

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Speaking of complaints, star Lupita Nyong'o has responded to the toxic backlash about her being cast as Helen of Troy in the film.

In an interview with Elle, the award-winning actor explained that "this is a mythological story" and that she was "very supportive of Chris’s intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling".

She added: "Our cast is representative of the world. I’m not spending my time thinking of a defence. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not."

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Nolan had himself defended the film against criticism around "historical accuracy" last week, and compared his process to when he made his acclaimed sci-fi film Interstellar back in 2014.

"For Interstellar, you're looking at, 'What is the best speculation of the future?' When you're looking at the ancient past, it's actually the same thing," he told Time magazine. "'What is the best speculation and how can I use that to create a world?'

"Hopefully they'll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. We had a lot of scientists complain about Interstellar. But you just don't want people to think that you took it on frivolously."

The Odyssey will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 17 July.

Book your £10 seat for the first ever Radio Times Film Night and watch Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey with fellow film fans at Odeon Luxe Islington on Thursday 23 July 2026.

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Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Patrick Cremona, smiling against a lime green background.

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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