“The Odyssey” is the most anticipated film of 2026 and may be the beginning of a new era in Christopher Nolan’s artistic career, as he will step into the realm of fantasy for the first time. In this article, we review all the published information about Nolan’s “Odyssey”.
The Oscar-winning director told Empire magazine of his passion for portraying Homer’s saga: “There’s a little bit of everything in this story; That means, in the literal sense, it includes all the stories. As a filmmaker, you’re looking for gaps in film culture, things that haven’t been done before. “What I saw was that all those previous legendary films that I grew up with, none of them were made with the weight and prestige that a big budget and a big Hollywood and IMAX project can provide.”
Matt Damon, the film’s star, confirmed his words, adding: “It’s no exaggeration to say that it was the best experience of my career.” For someone who has played iconic characters like Jason Bourne and Tom Ripley and worked with directors like Scorsese, Spielberg and Scott, that’s a big claim.
The film may benefit from Christopher Nolan’s popularity, but not being a sequel or part of a popular franchise makes it difficult, especially given its $250 million budget (yet to be officially announced). These types of epic non-superhero movies are rare in today’s cinema and often don’t sell. But Nolan is not an ordinary filmmaker, his films are considered an “event”. He is the one who turned a drama film like “Oppenheimer” into a blockbuster; A movie that sold nearly 1 billion dollars. Therefore, “Odyssey” should be taken seriously, but what do we know about it?
What is the story of “Odysseus”?
Homer’s “Odyssey” tells the story of the return of Odysseus (King of Ithaca) after the Trojan War. Maybe if you are not familiar with the main story and want to go to the movie without prior information, you can skip this section.
Odysseus embarks on a ten-year journey in which he encounters sea monsters, angry gods, deadly temptresses, and personal loss. While Odysseus is wandering at sea, in Ithaca his faithful wife Penelope and her son Telemachus are facing a big problem: a group of suitors have invaded their house, are eating the property and insisting that Penelope choose one of them as a wife and hand over the kingdom to him.
The story begins with the anger of Poseidon (god of the sea) who curses Odysseus for blinding his son Polyphemus and makes his return journey difficult. Odysseus and his companions first reach the land of the Cyclops. He cunningly gets Polyphemus drunk and blinds him, and then cleverly hides under the stomach of the sheep and escapes; But his pride causes him to reveal his true name and Poseidon’s curse becomes more severe.
Next, they reach the island of Lutophages, which has an amnesiac fruit, and some of Odysseus’ companions lose their memories. Then they reach the land of Aeolus (ruler of the winds) who gives Odysseus a musket containing all the winds to take him home; But the greedy companions open the musket and the storm drives them away again.
Later, they face sirens; Creatures that lead sailors to death with their magical song. Odysseus covers the ears of the companions with wax and ties himself to the mast to survive. Then they pass through Kharubdis (legendary vortex) and Silla (six-headed monster) and lose some other companions.
After that, they reach the island of Helios (Sun). The hungry companions kill the sacred cows for roasting, and cause a divine storm to sink all the ships except Odysseus himself, who remains afloat on a plank. He is imprisoned on the island of Calypso for seven years; A goddess who loves him and offers him immortality, but Odysseus thinks of his home and family and is finally freed by the order of Zeus.
Odysseus finally reaches the land of the Phasians; Kind people who cherish him and bring him to Ithaca in a magical ship. He disguises himself as a beggar to investigate the situation and then draws up a plan with the help of Athena and her son Telemachus. Penelope arranges an archery contest for her husband that only Odysseus can do. There, Odysseus takes the bow, kills the suitors one by one, and reveals his true identity.
It remains to be seen how Nolan’s take on this classic text will be and which events will be covered.
Who are the actors of the movie “Odysseus”?
No actor can answer Nolan. In this film, several veterans from his previous films return, including Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway (who will be working with Nolan for the third time). Along with them, we have a group of famous stars, from Hollywood’s favorite couple Tom Holland and Zendaya to the ever-reliable faces like Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong’o.
A number of other Nolan regulars are also back; From Elliott Page and Bill Irwin to Himesh Patel and Benny Safadi. Samantha Morton, Mia Guth and Jon Bernthal also appear in the film. However, we still don’t know exactly who will be playing what role, except for one or two: Matt Damon as Odysseus and Tom Holland as Telemachus (Holland, a fan of Nolan, probably gave Marvel execs a bit by declaring that “this was without a doubt the best job of my life,” “the best script I’ve ever read,” and “the best experience I’ve ever had on a movie set.” discouraged!)
The all-rounder Anne Hathaway plays Penelope (Odysseus’s wife) and Mia Gath appears as her – possibly – treacherous servant, Melantho. As of now, the details of the other roles have not been announced. This has made us very curious about who plays the role of gods. Charlize Theron revealed in an interview on the red carpet that she was chosen for the role of Circe (Goddess of Magic); Therefore, Zendaya will probably play the role of the most compassionate of the gods, Athena (goddess of wisdom and Odysseus’ guide).
List of confirmed actors of “Odysseus” so far:
- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Tom Holland as Telemachus
- Anne Hathaway as Penelope
- Charlize Theron as Kierke
- Zendaya
- Lupita Nyong’o
- Robert Pattinson
- John Bernthal
- Bani Safadi
- John Leguizamo
- Elliot Page
- Himesh Patel
- Bill Irwin
- Samantha Morton
- Jesse Garcia
- Will Yan Lee
- Rafi Gravern
- Shiloh Fernandez
- Mia Gath
- Corey Hawkins
- Nik E. Tarabai
- Jimmy Gonzalez
- Morris Compet
- Michael Wallamis
- Eve Goldberg
- Josh Stewart
- Ryan Hurst
- Anthony Molinari
- Logan Marshall-Green
- Travis Scott
What do we know from behind the scenes of Nolan’s “Odyssey” movie?
Speaking to Empire, Nolan revealed: “We used over two million film negatives…it feels very primitive!” While the director has a reputation for finishing projects under budget and ahead of schedule (he made Oppenheimer in just 57 days, cutting the original 85-day schedule to allow more budget for set design), producing an epic like The Odyssey required much more time to shoot. Not surprisingly, the shooting of this film started on February 25 this year and ended on August 8 after a 91-day run.
However, Nolan recalled the experience to Nicky, telling Empire: “I’ve been out of the studio and busy with work for the last four months. We took the actors of the Odysseus crew to the heart of the waves and real places. Yes, with the change in climate, everything was huge, terrifying, and wonderful. “We really wanted to portray the hardships of those journeys for the people of that time.”
On the other hand, “Odyssey” is also an international product. Filming took place on location in the town of Faviniana (aka “Goat Island”) in Sicily, where Odysseus and his men are said to have stopped to refresh and sacrifice goats. The project was then moved to Metoni Castle and Nestor’s Cave in Greece to record the scenes involving Polophemus (Cyclops or the one-eyed giant).
Also, earlier this year, an image of Matt Damon and Zendaya filming near the inner city of the Western Sahara was leaked, which was also accompanied by controversy. This area has been occupied by Morocco since 1975. Therefore, the Polisario Front (representative of the natives of the region) was outraged by filming in this area. By publishing a statement, they announced that this action is a “violation of international laws and ethical standards governing cultural and artistic activities.” Nolan and Universal Studios declined to comment.
What role does the IMAX camera play in this film?
Years ago, Nolan was asked (probably jokingly) in an interview if he would ever give up epic blockbusters to direct a low-budget romantic comedy. “I’m drawn to large-scale work because I know how difficult the opportunity is to organize such resources,” he replied. “I know there are a lot of filmmakers in the world who would do anything to have the resources I have, and I feel a responsibility to use those resources in the best and most interesting way possible.”
Nolan was one of the first filmmakers to abandon the 3D format – which was fashionable at the time – in favor of using IMAX cameras; Because he believed that these cameras captured a level of glamor and charm that could never be achieved by looking through colored plastic glasses. Since then, each of his films has taken greater steps to offer something new and exciting to the audience.
“Odyssey” is no exception to this rule. The IMAX company had used the same cameras for the past 25 years, and before that, their use was limited to selected sequences of the film; For example, Oppenheimer had 75 minutes of IMAX footage during its three-hour running time. However, IMAX executive Bruce Marko has revealed that Odyssey will be the first film to use the company’s new generation of cameras, which are quieter and lighter than current models.
Considering that one of the common criticisms of Nolan’s films is that the dialogues are illegible due to the director’s insistence on not using post-production dubbing (the same as ADR), this news should be considered very promising. Even more exciting, the portability of these cameras means that Odyssey will be the first feature film ever to be shot entirely on IMAX negatives; A big event that even the movie posters refer to.
The mutual trust of IMAX and Universal Studios in this film – and Nolan himself – is such that tickets for the first showings of the film in special IMAX theaters were put on sale a year in advance and immediately sold out within 12 hours. There’s now a thriving black market for Odyssey tickets that doesn’t exist for Holland and Zendaya’s other 2026 collaboration, Spider-Man: All New Day, for example; A film that will miss the chance to be released in IMAX, because “Odyssey” has an exclusive four-week franchise in all IMAX cinemas. If you remember, Oppenheimer had a similar deal that ended up working out in its favor, but at the same time dealt an irreparable blow to the likes of Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
Nolan’s film is based on which version of “Odyssey”?
In his recent projects, Nolan has often written the script alone and has not heard from his brother, Jonathan (creator of the “Westworld” series and his former collaborator). However, fans of classical literature are very curious to know which translation of Homer’s original work this great director used. Although all English-language versions of the epic contain the same characters, events, and ending, some of the more traditional versions of The Odyssey differ from contemporary translations as much as a 17th-century poem differs from modern language.
Perhaps the most notable recent translation of the epic is by Emily Wilson, who also published an acclaimed version of the Iliad in 2023. Wilson’s translation (the first by a woman) was published in 2017; Edith Hall in the Daily Telegraph wrote about it: “Wilson captures well the variety of tone of The Odyssey, from magical realism to comedy and despair.” However, closer scrutiny of this version has not been without controversy. Instead of the usual weight of “Dactylic hexameter”, this text is written in the form of “Iambic pentameter” and has avoided the poetic glory of famous translators such as Thomas Edward Lawrence and Robert Fogles in favor of a simpler and more colloquial language.
Wilson said: “I wanted to develop the potential of the work. There is more than one voice in this story; There is more than one character. Each of the characters are alive and multidimensional and have their own different point of view in the narrative. The story is not as Odyssey-oriented as some translations might lead you to believe. Given the breadth of Nolan’s cast and the presence of A-list stars each seeking to shine, it’s tempting to imagine that Nolan either used Wilson’s version as the basis for his screenplay, or at least was aware of the intricacies and subtleties of the original story. The short dialogues heard in the teaser don’t seem very “Homeric”, but based on what we know from Nolan, his scripts tend towards brevity and simplicity; We have to wait and see what the final version of the movie will include.
Will the film be historically accurate?
Nolan has always shown that he has a special interest in directing films that are told in the past. After Oppenheimer, The Prestige and Dunkirk, The Odyssey is his fourth major historical work and, like his previous works, will be carefully scrutinized for historical details and any possible inaccuracies. Since then, the image of Damon in combat uniform has been criticized. Odysseus lived and fought in “Bronze Age” Greece; Where he should have been wearing the luxurious bronze war clothes of Mycenaean Greece, not the hoplite-like armor he wears in the first published image, more befitting a common soldier than a king of Ithaca.
Also, the helmet he wears, with its reddish horsehair mane, while not very historically accurate, is less exciting than what is described in the Iliad; A hat given to him by his friend Meriones, which is made of leather and decorated with white boar’s teeth. We also have the Trojan horse in the film, but it is much smaller than the war horse in Wolfgang Petersen’s “Trojan” (2004) (it is interesting to know that Nolan was offered the direction of that film and indirectly led to the creation of this project). We will soon find out if this horse is historically accurate. But so far, at least, strict fidelity to history doesn’t seem to be Nolan’s concern.
Moreover, one should not expect Nolan to stick too closely to Homer’s text. If you have read “Odyssey”, you must know that one of its most important aspects is its special attention to illicit relationships. Themes of loyalty, honesty, and power are all explored through eroticism, from Penelope’s stubborn concealment during her husband’s ten-year journey home to Odysseus’ relationship with the goddesses. It’s hard to imagine Nolan staying true to the original source material in these cases. Oppenheimer was notable for having several romantic encounters between Cillian Murphy’s character and Pew’s character, but the director admitted that he was “nervous” and stressed about filming these scenes.
Will there be monsters in the movie?
There are many lasting characters and moments in the story of “Odyssey”; From Odysseus’ final bloody showdown with the suitors who had abused his and Penelope’s hospitality in his absence (which was recently turned into an independent film called “The Return” starring Riff Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, which is actually an adaptation of the final parts of this epic) to the episode where Odysseus is seduced by the enchantress Circe and she turns his companions into pigs.
The most famous scene, however, is where this unfortunate adventurer is captured by Polophemus, the bloodthirsty Cyclops; One who begins devouring Odysseus’ men and promises to save him for last. Most filmmakers prefer to create this character with computerized special effects, but Nolan still insists on authenticity and realism.
Thus, not only are the Cyclops scenes said to have been filmed in Nestor’s cave and the beach of Voidokilia in Greece (which are indeed the main locations Homer was considering), but Polophemus himself is brought to life on screen by a giant mechanical puppet said to be six meters tall. Of course, the magic of special effects will also be at work, and probably one of the famous actors of the team (perhaps Bill Irwin, who had a similar task in the movie “Interstellar”) will take over the voice and motion capture of this character.
When will Nolan’s “Odyssey” movie be released?
“Odyssey” will be released on July 17, 2026 (26 July 1405), and analysts have predicted that it could become the highest-grossing film of Christopher Nolan’s career, surpassing “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”.
In April, during CinemaCon, Jim Orr, Universal’s director of distribution, announced that the film would be “an unparalleled cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would probably be proud of if he were alive.” Jim Orr’s exaggerated words were met with jokes and criticism; Because the movie was still in the middle of shooting and it seemed a bit early to face such claims.
The film will probably have a duration of about 3 hours and will be released with an adult (R) rating, both of which normally hit the sales of cinematographic works, but “Oppenheimer” was also released with a similar status and surprised almost all analysts. Regardless of how faithful it is to Homer’s history and saga, this film is considered one of the most expensive and unique literary adaptations of recent decades, and it remains to be seen how much attention it will receive.
Source: telegraph
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