Nolan’s Twenty-Year “Odyssey”

By Alex Miller

Christopher Nolan has been musing on the possibilities of adapting Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” for the wide screen for twenty years, since the Oscar-winning director was briefly attached to direct “Troy” in 2004 (based on Homer’s “Iliad”).  That project ultimately proceeded under different leadership, but images and themes of the myth kept revolving in Nolan’s head, unwilling to evaporate completely.  Following the unexpected success of “Oppenheimer” in 2023, Nolan had his choice of projects, and quickly hit on adapting “The Odyssey,” beginning the script in March 2024, the same month “Oppenheimer” swept the Academy Awards.  Less than a year later, principal production began, with Nolan making the revolutionary choice to film the entire movie in IMAX, the first feature film to use the 70mm camera technology exclusively.

Premiering 17 July 2026, “The Odyssey” got off to an impressive start, garnering $264.1 million in global box office sales for its opening weekend, surpassing any of Nolan’s prior efforts.  The massive take may be attributed to an opposition (180 degrees) between two financial powerhouse planets, Jupiter (3 Leo) and Pluto (4 Aquarius), with Jupiter ruling the millions and Pluto the billions.  With a quarter billion plus for its debut, “The Odyssey” shows every sign of reaching that Plutonic potential. 

This basic polarity was aided and abetted by a celestial supporting cast including Venus (8 Virgo), ruling popularity; Neptune (4 Aries), ruling films; and Uranus (4 Gemini), ruling innovation and invention.  Invention was a key element of filming, with Nolan requesting his IMAX confederates develop mufflers for their notoriously noisy cameras, which had previously precluded their use during scenes with dialog.

Jupiter also rules fame and celebrity, a key factor in allowing Nolan to bring this cherished idea to fruition, and inevitably adding to his reputation and renown going forward.  Cashing in on this potential is asteroid Nolan (4 Leo), conjoined Jupiter and tied to the entire pattern.  The spotlighting Sun (25 Cancer) is also moving into range of conjunction, granting general notice and acclaim.

Also caught up in the pattern’s net is a pairing of asteroids TRIUMF (18 Virgo) and Odysseus (22 Virgo) in semisquare (45 degrees) to Jupiter/Nolan.  Odysseus is named for the eponymous hero of Homer’s poem, while TRIUMF is named for the acronym of a Canadian science research facility, but acts as its homophonic equivalent “triumph,” meaning an unqualified success.  And that’s just what “The Odyssey” appears to be, with glowing critical reviews and a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s never too early to talk Oscar buzz, and asteroid Oskar (15 Gemini) squared (90 degrees) Odysseus, with an assist from Mars (13 Gemini), suggests an energetic campaign (Mars) for Academy Award (Oskar) recognition for the film (Odysseus).

Christopher Nolan’s birth chart (1) supports Oscar gold for this effort.  With asteroids Nolan (8 Capricorn) and Odysseus (15 Capricorn) conjunct, director (Nolan) and project (Odysseus) are inextricably linked, and a square to natal asteroid Oskar (11 Libra), with a sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) to asteroid Nike (27 Leo), named for the Greek goddess of victory, seems to set the seal on Nolan’s reappearance in the winner’s circle for the 2027 Academy Awards.

To be held 14 March 2027, the 99^th Academy Awards looks like a big night for Nolan, with asteroid Nolan (6 Scorpio) again conjoined Odysseus (28 Libra), as at birth, reigniting the natal potential for conflation between them.  Nolan IS his film.  Moreover, Nolan is embedded at station (2), indicating a critical turning point has been reached, a watershed moment for the lauded director.  Nolan is also sesquiquadrate a pairing of the Sun (23 Pisces) with asteroid Christophe (19 Pisces), closest to Christopher, placing Chris Nolan firmly in the spotlight (Sun) on the day in question. 

Christophe is further exactly trine (120 degrees, supportive) asteroid Oskar (19 Cancer), squared (90 degrees, energizing) asteroid TRIUMF (13 Sagittarius) and sextile (60 degrees, offering opportunity) asteroid Nike (23 Capricorn).  Gilding the cosmic lily, Nolan rests on the fulcrum of a T-Square (3) with asteroid Victoria (10 Leo), named for the Roman goddess of victory, and transformative Pluto (6 Aquarius), suggesting a win (Victoria) for Nolan (Nolan) which heightens his personal power (Pluto).

For moviegoers, “The Odyssey” itself will take some endurance, reflective of Odysseus’ long road home, with its 2 hour and 52-minute runtime, but most reviewers indicate it’s worth the investment in time. 

Notes:  (1) Christopher Nolan born 30 July 1970, no time available

(2) Stations are periods when, from our perspective on Earth, a planet appears to slow its movement, come to a standstill, and reverse course.  This is an optical illusion created by the triangulation between the sun, Earth, and any third celestial body; astrologically, it represents a focusing of the energies associated with that point, and often coincides with major life events or a radical recalibration of how that point has functioned previously.

(3) A T-Square is a dynamic pattern composed of two or more planets in opposition (180 degrees), each squared (90 degrees) a third.  It represents stress and conflict, with the fulcrum point (at the square) offering a possibility of resolution.

Sources:  reporting from NBC News, Variety, Wikipedia; chart data from serennu.com; graphic images by author

Title Image Credit:  drawn by Chat GPT