At this point in his extensive filmmaking career, Christopher Nolan has nearly done it all. The Oscar-winning director has helmed biopics, superhero movies, mind-bending stories about time travel, mind-bending stories about magicians, war movies, and he recently dove into the fantasy genre (with slight touches of horror) courtesy of The Odyssey. But despite the multiple acclaimed projects under his belt, there's one thing Christopher Nolan has never done before, and that is to include a post-credits scene in his work.
As was to be expected, The Odyssey is no different.
The latest Christopher Nolan film doesn't have a post-credits or mid-credits scene. But even when this epic Greek tale comes to an end, audiences should stick around after the credits for a very unexpected surprise. Nolan is known for his exceptional filmmaking craft, but now he could make a name for himself in the music world as well.
The Odyssey has an end-credits song that was co-written by Christopher Nolan himself
When the credits roll on The Odyssey, audiences will hear the song "When I'm Home", which is performed by James Blake, Travis Scott, and the film's composer, Ludwig Göransson. Interestingly enough, this song was co-written by Christopher Nolan himself, marking a first in an already impressive career.
Unsurprisingly, the lyrics of "When I'm Home" reference the many events that transpire during The Odyssey. As if that wasn't enough, the song also features the words "A face. A plea. A war", which are the very same words that are used during the film's opening and once again during its third act. To make things more interesting, one of Odysseus' biggest personal conflicts is also hidden somewhere within the lyrics (but let's not dive too much into that to avoid spoilers).
Once the song is over, audiences will be treated to chilling music by composer Ludwig Göransson. The end melody is simple, beautiful, and, quite frankly, a bit haunting. After the many explosive sequences in The Odyssey that have a fast-paced and loud score, you'll get to hear something much smaller in scope but just as mesmerizing.
The Odyssey also features an end-credit dedication to David Keighley—IMAX's first chief quality officer and a friend to Christopher Nolan. According to David's son, Geoff Keighley, his dad dreamed of the day when an entire movie could be filmed in IMAX format, and he worked closely with Nolan to make that vision a reality with the release of The Odyssey. Unfortunately, Keighley passed away after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, but his work will help captivate millions for years to come.
Filming an entire film with IMAX cameras was no easy feat. For starters, previous models of the cameras were extremely noisy, to the point that it was impossible for microphones not to pick up the sound of the film running at 24 frames per second. Actors had to shout their lines in close-up shots, and even then, software intervention was necessary to remove the background noise. That's why Nolan initially used these cameras to film action scenes (with no dialogue) in The Dark Knight.
Imax eventually created a new version of the cameras (fittingly called the "Keighley"), but they have a cover that weighs approximately 400 pounds. Needless to say, filming on location with these cameras presented its own set of difficulties. Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, revealed that he thought Nolan didn't like his performance in The Odyssey because the director kept cutting very frequently. Turns out, the IMAX cameras couldn't film for more than three continuous minutes.
On the bright side, the struggle was definitely worth it. The Odyssey is a breathtaking movie that's only elevated by the performances of its all-star cast and a fantastic score by Ludwig Göransson. And even when the film doesn't have a post-credits or mid-credits scene, there are still reasons for audiences to stick around (aside from discovering the people involved in bringing such a monumental movie to life).
The Odyssey is now in theaters.
Add us as a preferred source on Google