Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan has left his fanbase disgruntled following the release of the trailer for his upcoming film, The Odyssey.

The highly anticipated summer blockbuster, set to hit screens on 17 July 2026, has been generating a buzz due to Nolan’s reputation and the star-studded cast that includes Oscar winners Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong’o.

The film is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic, with the narrative centred around the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (played by Damon), as he embarks on his journey home post the Trojan War.

According to the synopsis, viewers will also follow him as he meets mythical creatures such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Circe.

But when the much-awaited trailer for the drama was released on Monday (22 December), it was met with disappointment rather than excitement.

Critics have slammed the poor quality of the teaser’s visuals, particularly considering that Nolan used cutting-edge IMAX film technology for the production, reports the Mirror.

Fans voiced their dissatisfaction in the YouTube comments section of the trailer. One disgruntled viewer wrote: “Shot entirely in IMax” Trailer in 1080p smh (shaking my head).”

Another echoed this sentiment, commenting: “Why don’t you release trailers in 4K? The image quality is terrible,” while a third chimed in with: “Why is the quality so awful? It’s blurry and [glitching] everywhere?”

Another viewer responded: “It’s dreadful even for 1080p. The scene at 1:08 is completely botched, and there are glaring encoding problems. It’s mental that a release this massive ends up with such appalling picture quality in the trailer.”

Whilst a fourth shared: “I was thinkin the same like why the quality looks like this?” and a fifth remarked: “Lol this trailer looks like it was recorded at 480p.”

Supporters are expressing similar views on X, formerly Twitter.One exasperated watcher quipped: “How is it possible that this is the most anticipated movie of 2026 when it looks so awful?”

Despite the widespread grumbles, Nolan’s loyal fanbase remains convinced the trailer’s standard is down to an uploading blunder.

Given Nolan’s track record in crafting visual masterpieces, such as his 2024 Oscar triumph Oppenheimer, audiences have been quick to grant the filmmaker the benefit of the doubt.

The Odyssey lands in cinemas on July 17, 2026