The Odyssey: Everything we know so far about Christopher Nolan's upcoming movie
Christopher Nolan is set to return with The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. Following the success of Oppenheimer, which won multiple Academy Awards, Nolan’s next project shifts from historical drama to Greek mythology.
The Odyssey will be a high-budget, action-driven film that explores Odysseus’s long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War. The adaptation will bring Homer’s myth to life on the big screen using newly developed IMAX film technology, with extensive location shooting planned across multiple countries.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s classic poem stars Matt Damon as Odysseus.
What is The Odyssey’s release date and who is in the cast?
Universal Pictures has scheduled The Odyssey for release on July 17, 2026, with a global IMAX rollout. This follows Nolan’s long-standing preference for high-quality large-format projection, a method he has employed in previous films such as Dunkirk and Tenet.
The film features Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek hero attempting to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. The ensemble cast includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, and Samantha Morton.
Several of these actors, including Damon, Hathaway, and Pattinson, have previously collaborated with Nolan on films such as Interstellar, Oppenheimer, and Tenet. Casting announcements continued into early 2025, with additional names such as Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Corey Hawkins, and Nick Tarabay joining the production.
Production and filming details of The Odyssey explored
Development for the film was first reported in October 2024, with Universal confirming in December that the film would be an adaptation of Homer’s poem. The production is expected to have a budget of 250 million, making it one of the most expensive films of Nolan’s career.
Filming is scheduled to begin in late February 2025, with primary locations including the United Kingdom, Morocco, and various sites in Italy. A significant portion of the shoot will take place in the Aeolian Islands and Favignana, areas closely associated with Homer’s tale, according to Variety.
These locations have been selected to represent the settings of Odysseus’ journey, including the open seas and isolated islands that define much of the story.
Nolan’s frequent collaborator Hoyte van Hoytema will serve as cinematographer, continuing a partnership that began with Interstellar and extended through Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer.
What is The Odyssey about?
Homer’s The Odyssey follows Odysseus’s ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War, facing a series of supernatural obstacles and moral challenges. The journey tests both his physical endurance and strategic intelligence as he encounters mythical creatures and navigates conflicts with gods, monsters, and hostile humans.
Some of the episodes from the epic include:
- The Cyclops Polyphemus – A one-eyed giant who captures Odysseus and his men, forcing them to devise an escape plan.
- The Sirens – Mysterious creatures whose enchanting songs lure sailors to their deaths.
- Circe, the Witch-Goddess – A powerful sorceress who turns Odysseus’s men into animals and manipulates his journey.
- Calypso, the Nymph – A goddess who keeps Odysseus trapped on her island for years, offering him eternal life in exchange for his love.
- The Underworld – A sequence in which Odysseus consults the dead to gain knowledge about his fate.
While Odysseus is struggling to return home, his wife Penelope remains in Ithaca, fending off suitors who believe her husband is dead. She delays choosing a new husband by weaving a burial shroud during the day and unraveling it at night. Their son Telemachus also embarks on his own journey to seek news of his father.
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