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The Odyssey: After winning the Best Director Oscar for Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan is already working on his next big film, and this one sounds massive. He’s adapting The Odyssey, the famous ancient Greek story, and turning it into a modern movie filled with adventure, emotion, and action.
The main character, Odysseus, will be played by Matt Damon. In the original tale, Odysseus goes on a long and difficult journey to get home after the Trojan War. This version is expected to follow that same idea but with Nolan’s signature style, big visuals, deep storytelling, and emotional depth.
The cast is packed with some of Hollywood’s biggest names. Alongside Matt Damon, the film will feature Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, and Mia Goth. And that’s not even the full list; more names are expected to be announced later.
Universal Pictures recently praised the film at CinemaCon. The studio called Nolan’s take on The Odyssey “visionary” and said it will be a “once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece.” They believe it’s going to be a movie even Homer, the original storyteller, would be proud of.
The movie was officially confirmed in December 2024 and is being filmed around the world using new IMAX technology. This means the visuals will likely be stunning, just like in Nolan’s past films.
The Odyssey release date
Universal has officially announced that Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey, will be released on Friday, 17th July 2026. What’s even better is that both the UK and the US will get the film on the exact same day. That means fans on both sides of the Atlantic will get to experience this epic adventure together, with no delays.
Right now, there’s still quite a bit of time before the movie comes out, about a year and a half to go. Production already began in spring 2025, so things are well underway behind the scenes.
It’s not a shock that Nolan has picked mid-July for the release. That’s kind of his favourite season for big movie drops. He’s done this before, even releasing Tenet in the middle of the pandemic. And of course, who could forget Oppenheimer releasing in July 2023, right alongside Barbie, and turning into a box office phenomenon?
With The Odyssey now claiming that same prime summer slot in 2026, it’s already got fans speculating about what other major film might release the same day. Could there be another iconic double-feature moment? Only time will tell.
The Odyssey plot details
The Odyssey is one of the oldest and most iconic stories in the world. Originally written as a long poem in Ancient Greece around the 8th century BC, it’s credited to the legendary poet Homer. This epic tale has been told and retold for thousands of years, and it’s no surprise that Christopher Nolan has chosen it as the foundation for his next big movie.
The story follows Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, who is trying to make his way back home after the Trojan War. But his journey isn’t simple, it takes him an extra 10 years to return. Along the way, he faces all kinds of dangers, from mythical creatures to angry gods. Back home, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus are also dealing with troubles of their own, as many men try to take Odysseus’s place, assuming he’s already dead.
With such a rich and dramatic storyline, Nolan has a lot of material to work with. But it’s still unclear whether he’ll stick to the ancient Greek setting or give it a modern or futuristic twist. Either way, fans are excited to see his unique spin on the tale.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time The Odyssey has been adapted for film. It’s inspired many movies over the years, including a silent film in 1911 and more recently, The Return in 2024 starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. But none of the past versions have really stood out as timeless classics; maybe Nolan’s take will finally change that.
The Odyssey cast info
The cast for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey is absolutely packed with talent, possibly one of the most star-filled lineups he’s ever assembled.
We already know that Matt Damon will take on the lead role as Odysseus, the hero of the story, while Tom Holland will play his son, Telemachus. Joining them are some big Hollywood names like Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Anne Hathaway, and Charlize Theron—though we don’t yet know which characters they’ll be playing.
On top of that, several other actors have been confirmed, including both past Nolan collaborators and first-timers. The list includes:
Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, and Will Yun Lee.
And there’s even more. Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Nick E Tarabay, Jimmy Gonzales, Maurice Compte, Michael Vlamis, Iddo Goldberg, Josh Stewart, Cosmo Jarvis, and Ryan Hurst are all part of this massive ensemble.
Since The Odyssey is such a large-scale story with many characters, it wouldn’t be surprising if even more actors are announced in the coming months. And once we get official info on who’s playing who, we’ll be sure to share it.
Is there a trailer for The Odyssey?
Even though Christopher Nolan is known for keeping his films tightly under wraps, a recent leak gave fans an early glimpse of his upcoming epic, The Odyssey. A teaser trailer—meant to be shown only in cinemas before Jurassic World: Rebirth, was leaked online before the studio quickly had it taken down. But not before some very telling details surfaced.
The teaser opens with a moody shot of the ocean, setting the tone with a mysterious voiceover:
“Darkness. Zeus’ law smashed to pieces. A kingdom without a king since my master died. He knew it was an un-winnable war. And then, somehow, somehow he won it.”
This cryptic narration hints at the legendary aftermath of the Trojan War and Odysseus’ absence.
We then see Tom Holland as Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, on a personal quest to uncover what really happened to his father. He’s shown questioning Jon Bernthal’s character, asking if he’s seen Odysseus. Bernthal replies that he hasn’t seen him since the war, but whispers and rumours about Odysseus’ fate are beginning to circulate.
The teaser may have been brief, but it offered a rich taste of the emotional depth, mystery, and mythology Nolan plans to bring to life on screen.