A look at British filmmaker Christopher Nolan as The Odyssey trailer released - who is his wife and do they have children?
The trailer for anticipated movie The Odyssey, written, produced and directed by Christopher Nolan, has been released - here’s a look at the Oscar-winning filmmaker.
Christopher Nolan has risen to prominence in the world of movie making, finding his way into the top 10 highest grossing filmmakers worldwide. The British director currently sits at number seven in the list among giants of the industry including Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Peter Jackson.
Gearing up for the release of his latest movie, The Odyssey, Spiderman star Tom Holland has sung Nolan’s praises saying he was “so touched” to be picked for his adaptation of the ancient Greek epic. Starring alongside fiancée Zendaya, they also share the screen with co-stars Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway in the movie, which will hit screens this summer.
The Odyssey has been written, produced and directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Nolan, who is widely hailed as one of the most respected and influential directors in Hollywood. Last month, Holland said one of his “proudest achievements as an actor” was starring in the movie.
“I can tell you that it is an absolute masterpiece, and I’m taking myself out of that equation,” he said. “Chris Nolan’s movie is fantastic. It’s unlike anything that I’ve ever seen before. I think when I saw the movie, I found myself asking a question that I haven’t asked about a movie for a long time, which is, ‘How did you do that?’.
“I think with CGI and stuff like that, we’ve become so accustomed to seeing these amazing things on screen and just kind of having the basic understanding that some very clever people and artistic people are able to do that on a computer. But Chris is obviously trying to do everything as practically as possible in camera.”
Holland continued: “There were certain sequences in the movie where I’m watching it and I’m just sort of thinking like, ‘How on earth has he done that? That has to be CG’. And then after the movie asking him, ‘That was definitely CG, right?’. And he’s like, ‘No, no, no, that’s all in camera effects. Very planned, very prepared’.
“I think fans are going to be really, really blown away by the set-pieces and sequences throughout the movie, because even as someone that was there on the day and was in the film, I was absolutely blown away by the scale, the scope, (Nolan’s) ability to navigate such an intricate and heartfelt story in the middle of this insane kind of action movie.
“It’s one of my proudest achievements as an actor and I’m so touched that Chris gave me the opportunity to be in the film. And I really think that people are going to be floored by the film.”
Who is Christopher Nolan?
Christopher Edward Nolan was born in London in 1970 and has risen to prominence in Hollywood on the back of a string of big-screen hits. The 55-year-old has been at the helm of films which have brought in more than $6 billion (approx £4.5 billion) worldwide, making him the seventh highest-grossing film director of all time, including the likes of Oppenheimer and Inception.
He has won two Oscars, a Golden Globe Award, and two British Academy Film Awards. In 2019 he was made a CBE and was knighted in 2024 for his contributions to film.
Christopher Nolan wife and children
Nolan is married to movie producer Emma Thomas, whom he met at University College London (UCL) when he was 19. They share four children and live in Los Angeles. Their efforts in Hollywood have seen them accrue a sizable fortune, with the Sunday Times Rich List in 2025 listing them with an estimated net worth of £360 million.
Christopher Nolan’s famous brother
Christoper Nolan comes from a creative family, with younger brother Jonathan also a successful screenwriter and producer, with credits including creating CBS science fiction series Person of Interest and as co-creator of HBO science fiction/Western series, Westworld.
The siblings have worked together, with Christopher adapting a short story by his little brother for thriller Memento in 2000, while the pair co-wrote mystery-thriller The Prestige, and superhero films The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and science-fiction film Interstellar.
In 2024, Jonathan executive produced and directed the first three episodes of the television series adaptation of Fallout.
:: The Odyssey is set to be released in cinemas and IMAX on July 17. Produced by Universal Pictures, it will have a simultaneous release in the US and UK, with filming entirely in the IMAX format.