Tom Holland on why filming The Odyssey in IMAX left him nowhere to hide
Tom Holland told historian Tom Holland on The Rest Is History podcast that filming Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey entirely on IMAX cameras is uniquely demanding because the format's ultra-high resolution leaves actors with nowhere to hide, forcing a more subtle performance. Practical limits — including roughly three-minute film magazines — add further pressure on set.
Key Takeaways
- Actor Tom Holland said IMAX's resolution forces subtler performances because actors cannot hide anything on camera.
- The Odyssey is the first feature-length movie filmed entirely with IMAX cameras.
- Each IMAX film magazine holds only about three minutes of footage before it must be swapped.
- The Rest Is History sit-down marked the first meeting between the two British Tom Hollands.
- Christopher Nolan's epic opens in theaters July 17, 2026.
Why is filming in IMAX so hard for actors?
Tom Holland, who plays Telemachus in Nolan's adaptation of the Greek epic, joined his namesake — the 58-year-old classicist and Rest Is History co-host — to discuss the blockbuster ahead of its release. The 30-year-old actor called IMAX "a very different beast," saying there is a huge gap between stage acting, screen acting, and performing for the massive format.
"You just can't hide anything in IMAX. The resolution is so good. There are no secrets. There's nowhere to hide," Holland told the podcast, according to Business Insider. He added that the format promotes a more subtle version of performance because it can very quickly become too much.
There are practical obstacles, too. IMAX cameras shoot on large-format film, and a single magazine holds only about three minutes of footage at standard speed before it must be replaced. The cameras have also been notoriously loud, which is why IMAX developed a quieter generation of equipment with Nolan in mind — technology that made an all-IMAX production possible for the first time.
Who are the two Tom Hollands who met on the podcast?
The interview marked the first meeting of the two men who share one of Britain's most search-engine-confusing names. Their overlap has been a long-running joke between the historian and his podcast partner Dominic Sandbrook.
During the recorded conversation, the pair recreated the famous Spider-Man pointing meme. The historian jokingly referred to the actor as "the real Tom Holland" and noted that the Spider-Man star's fame had made it harder to Google himself.
Beyond the name gag, the conversation dug into myth and movies. Holland the actor said he sees Telemachus and Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway, as representing "the reality of the story," while Odysseus' journey represents the myth. The historian told his guest he thought it was the best cinematic adaptation of a Greek myth he had ever seen.
How did Elon Musk stir up confusion around the name?
The podcast episode landed amid an unlikely online clash between historian Tom Holland and Elon Musk over Nolan's film. After critics dismissed the movie as "woke," partly over casting such as Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, the historian defended it on X.
Musk responded with a blunt insult without specifying which Tom Holland he meant, briefly leaving users unsure whether he had targeted the Spider-Man star or the podcaster. The historian doubled down, writing that missing The Odyssey over culture-war complaints was "cutting off your nose to spite your face."
The pair's interview was filmed before that spat, The Hollywood Reporter noted. For more on blockbuster premieres and behind-the-scenes film news, follow our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
When does The Odyssey arrive in theaters?
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is scheduled for a July 17, 2026 theatrical release. Nolan has shrugged off pre-release criticism, telling The Telegraph that conversations before audiences see a film are "always irrelevant."
For Holland the actor, the IMAX challenge was worth it. He told his namesake that Nolan lives to entertain, and said the film balances topical themes with spectacle — even if every micro-expression will be visible on the biggest screens on Earth.