ATHENS – Outside of Grauman’s Chinese, Universal City Walk’s IMAX or The Academy Museum’s Geffen Theater, what better venue to watch Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” than on an IMAX screen at a Village Cinemas in Athens, Greece? If any crowd would be tough on this adaptation its a Greek one. Universal nor Nolan need to worry, however. The sold-out screening clapped at the end and was pretty captivated throughout. Most critics are over the moon, and we expect overall moviegoers and guild and AMPAS members to be as well. Yes, there is no drop-off for Nolan and his team after 2024’s Best Picture winner, “Oppenheimer.” The filmmaker has crafted another powerhouse piece of cinema. A movie that is enthralling and entertaining, but with contemporary political overtones that will resonate with industry voters. Yes, the Oscars will be calling. At least with a boatload of nominations.
One of the big talking points already in awards circles is just how many nominations “The Odyssey” can rack up. Can it break the record “Sinners” achieved last year with 16? It might, or, at worst, it’s gonna come close. Let’s start counting, shall we?
First up is Best Picture. This is an easy one. Barring some out-of-the-blue backlash or the movie somehow not landing after screening for The Academy in Los Angeles on Saturday night (a 7:30 screening with just one guest), it’s hard to imagine a movie that could earn over $1 billion and stellar reviews (89 on Metacritic), not making the cut.
Nolan is a two-time Best Director nominee who won for “Oppenheimer” two and a half years ago. This film has absolutely breathtaking moments of cinema that only an auteur of Nolan’s caliber can deliver. We aren’t giving anyone the trophy yet – it’s way too early – but he’ll make the five easily.
The London-born filmmaker is also a three-time screenplay nominee. He has earned two Original Screenplay noms (“Memento,” “Inception”) and one Adapted Screenplay nomination. “Oppenheimer” lost that trophy to “American Fiction’s” Cord Jefferson, but still took the Best Picture crown (a rare disconnect in this Oscars era). Adapting Homer‘s centuries-old poem into a film narrative is no easy task, but this is one category that may be borderline depending on the field. In theory, sure, but not a lock.
Let’s tackle below-the-line before we consider the acting possibilities. A slam dunk is Casting. John Papsidera has worked with Nolan since “Memento” and has a broad skill set (his television work is impressive). While many of the cast have worked with Nolan in some capacity before, the choices of John Leguizamo, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Corey Hawkins, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, Samantha Morton, and Corey Hawkins are quite inspired. Elliott Page may have starred in previous Nolan features, but this role was refreshing casting, as was, yes, Zendaya, who feels much less like stunt casting by the end of the movie. We’re not saying “The Odyssey” is the SAG Actor Award Ensemble nominee to beat, but we’re not not saying it either.
Hoyte van Hoytema for Cinematography? Absolutely happening. Ludwig Göransson for Original Score? Of course. Jennifer Lame for Editing? She better make that five. Already a nominee for “Oppenheimer,” Production Designer Ruth De Jong outdoes herself this time around. She’s simply never taken on a project of this immense scale, and the authenticity she brings is masterful. Ellen Mirojnick will earn another Costume Design nomination for Penelope’s look at the end of the movie alone, let alone the inspired armor and headdress for Agamemnon (an unrecognizable Benny Safdie). Makeup and Hairstyling seems like a given, but considering how wild that category has been with select snubs over the past few years, it’s not a given for anyone. Visual Effects, absolutely. It would be shocking if the branch snubbed the realistic fantasy creations, especially in one key magical scene. Speaking of shocking, not landing Best Sound would be an even bigger surprise. The only Nolan film that hasn’t earned a nomination in this category in the past 20 years is “Tenet.”
By our math, we’re at 12 nominations in a best-case scenario. But, wait, there’s more.
Travis Scott and James Blake have an original song titled “When I’m Home” that plays over the end credits. Scott also appears in a flash-forward scene at the beginning of the movie and at the end. Considering Scott’s long history of controversies (including the 2021 Astroworld incident), we’re still scratching our heads over why Nolan worked with him again (Scott wrote an original track for “Tenet”), but it’s got a shot – in theory. Overall, Original Song is still a huge crapshoot, with the only lock for a nod so far this year is Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” from “Toy Story 5.”
Last, but not least, the actors. The most likely nominee is Anne Hathaway. She’s simply stellar as Penelope, but the question is whether she’s in Lead Actress or Supporting Actress. We’re genuinely curious how Universal will play this and/or how Acting branch voters will react to however she’s being positioned. Another Supporting Actress candidate is Morton as Circe. She has about as much screentime as Penelope Cruz in “La Bola Negro” (10-15 minutes at most), but boy does she give the film a jolt of unexpected energy. She’s simply bewitching. And yes, Supporting Actress is getting super competitive this year.
Matt Damon effectively carries the film on his shoulders as Odysseus, and physically goes through the wringer. He absolutely commits to the role even if it doesn’t contain a dramatic arc swing (although his scenes with Charlize Theron’s Calypso explore a different side of the character). If the movie is adored, that love could rub off on Leguizamo, who is quite good even if his acting choice is giving ’50s and ’60s golden age of Hollywood epic energy more than his co-stars. Himesh Patel is also fantastic as Eurylochus, but that would need some organic love to crack through.
Tom Holland is very good as Telemachus. It just doesn’t feel like this is an awards-worthy play outside of the Critics’ Choice Awards. And as for Robert Pattinson, oof. We’re fans. He’s a talent, but his take on the sleazy and villainous Antinous was way too on the nose. Maybe the guilds and AMPAS will think differently. Maybe not.
That gets us to around 14 “likely” noms, but there is a window to tie the all-time record. And there’s a lane to 17, which would set a new record. But it’s not even August 1st yet. Time to just sit back and enjoy the ride because this Oscar season is already shaping up to be a fun one.
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Bluesky
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Threads
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Instagram
Follow Gregory Ellwood on TikTok
Sign Up For The Breakdown Newsletter
Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of the entertainment industry's most respected journalists and critics. Based in Los Angeles, he's the only current awards expert who previously worked on Oscar campaigns at a major movie studio. Over the years, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vox, among others. He also co-founded the entertainment news site HitFix, which spawned a legion of influential Emmy and WGA Award-winning alumni.
