Tom Cruise once again raises his voice in defense of the cinematographic experience, and this time he does so supporting Christopher Nolan's latest film. The actor took to his social media on Thursday, minutes after attending an advance screening of “The Odyssey,” the British director's Greek epic. There he thanked Nolan, his wife and producing partner Emma Thomas, and the entire cast and crew that made this blockbuster possible.

"Wow! To Chris, Emma and ALL the brilliant cast and crew. Thank you for an incredible night at a movie theater. I can't wait to see it again!" Cruise wrote in the caption of an image that shows him holding his ticket in front of the IMAX 70mm theater where they screened the film.

The cast

“The Odyssey”, which officially hits theaters this Friday, brings the Homeric poem to the 21st century with a luxury choral cast. Matt Damon plays King Odysseus on his arduous journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, where his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) await him.

The cast is completed by Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page, Travis Scott and Charlize Theron, among others. At the time of writing this note, the film already has a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, support that critics have poured into its narrative and visual ambition.

Although Cruise and Nolan have never filmed together, they both share the same flag: the staunch defense of big screen cinema. “The Odyssey” went down in history as the first feature film shot entirely with 70mm IMAX cameras, a format that offers unprecedented clarity and immersion.

Cruise, who delayed the release of “Top Gun: Maverick” during the pandemic to guarantee its theatrical release, sees this technical achievement as an extension of his own crusade.

Cruise's bet with "Maverick" could not have been more profitable: the sequel grossed almost $1.5 billion worldwide and led Steven Spielberg to declare in 2023: "You saved Hollywood's ass, and you may have saved theatrical distribution. Seriously, Maverick could have saved the entire theatrical industry."

While the industry celebrates the premiere of “The Odyssey,” Cruise is already fine-tuning the engines for his next project. “Digger,” directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, will hit theaters on October 2. The first trailer, released earlier this week, shows an unrecognizable actor under heavy prosthetic makeup, heralding a new metamorphosis in his already legendary career.