Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming film The Odyssey is expected to skip influencer screenings.
The highly anticipated epic fantasy action movie features Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. The film premieres on July 17th in the UK and the US, after a global premiere in London on July 6th.
Avoiding Influencer Screenings
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal is avoiding word-of-mouth screenings for The Odyssey.
Before critics are invited to advanced screenings, studios, on a case-by-case basis, give influencers the chance to see huge releases in exchange for their social media reviews. However, The Odyssey isn’t expected to feature in such screenings.
Instead, they will stick with critics’ screenings and then the global premiere for Nolan’s newest blockbuster.
Filming in Difficult Conditions
Damon, 55, recently opened up about shooting The Odyssey alongside Theron, 50, in difficult conditions on a windy beach in Morocco. He praised the “seriously tough” actress’s determination to keep going, despite being in “massive discomfort.”
He told ELLE magazine, “She had to do these scenes that were already challenging with a 30-to40-mile-an-hour wind ripping sand into her eyes.”
“She’s just a boss, though. The grips were trying to hold screens over, anything that we could do so that we could shoot. But even with all that stuff, she was in massive discomfort, and you wouldn’t know it from seeing the movie.”
“I’ve known her for so long, and she is one of those people who won’t complain, ever. And so, when she finally had to say, ‘I literally – I’m so sorry, I can’t keep my eyes open,’ she was angry.”
“I think that was probably tougher on her than anything. And I’m like: ‘Charlize, no human being could keep their eyes open, this is ridiculous. Why didn’t you say something earlier?’ That’s her. She is seriously tough.”
Damon Praising Theron
Damon also admitted he is convinced Theron “won the genetic lottery,” because she’s barely aged over the last few decades.
He said, “I don’t know why only one of us aged. She won the genetic lottery. She’s somebody I’ve always really rooted for because if you know her, it’s impossible not to root for her. She’s just a formidable woman and a great, great actress.”