Following his Oscar-winning feature film Oppenheimer (2024) which swept the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Lead Actor, Best Score and more categories at the 96th annual Academy Awards, Christopher Nolan‘s next project is taking shape.
Read on for everything we know about the inspiration, story, cast and more
When does Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey come out?
The film is currently set for a release in Imax July 17, 2026.
How long will Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey be?
In an interview with the Associated Press, Nolan revealed that The Odyssey will be shorter than his most recent and Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, which clocked in at three hours and nine seconds. Oppenheimer is Nolan’s longest film to date.
What is Christopher Nolan’s next film about?
Just before Christmas, it was revealed that Nolan’s latest project would be epic in more than one sense of the word as it will adapt Homer’s epic poem composed around the 8th century BCE. Universal revealed the news.
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“Christopher Nolan’s next film The Odyssey is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology,” the studio announced on Dec. 23, 2024 in a message posted to X. “The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.”
As one of the foundational poetic texts of Western literature, the story follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca on his dangerous journey home after the Trojan war. The ancient Greek epic illustrates a true hero’s journey as the titular figure faces Polyphemus the Cyclops, Sirens, the nymph Calypso and the witch goddess Circe in the treacherous oceans that separate him from his island home and wife Penelope, who unravels a wedding train that she weaves evey night in the event that one of the suitors who have taken over her home ends up marrying her should her husband not return.
Who is in the cast of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey?
Matt Damon was one of the first stars on the stacked roster of talent to be announced as in talks for a role in Nolan’s next project. Deadline exclusively reported the news in October 2024 along with the expected release date and studio behind the film — Universal. Next came Tom Holland’s attachment later on in October. The Spider-Man actor will co-star. Early on in November, Deadline broke the news that Holland’s partner Zendaya as well as one of Nolan’s previous collaborators Anne Hathaway will also costar. Hathaway is portraying Odysseus’ wife Penelope, as first shown by Empire Magazine. Mia Goth will play one of Penelope’s maids, Melantho. Holland will portray Odysseus’ son Telemachus.
Elle Magazine revealed that Zendaya will portray the goddess of wisdom, Athena, that Lupita Nyong’o will portray Helen of Troy and that Charlize Theron will play sea nymph Calypso, who traps Odysseus on her island for a spell.
Lupita Nyong’o’s casting came about days later. Later on in November came the news that Robert Pattinson was in talks to board the project. Benny Safdie and Charlize Theron were the latest additions as of the end of November 2024. Jon Bernthal’s casting was exclusively reported by Deadline in January 2025. Casting additions made to the epic film at the end of January 2025 included Himesh Patel, Elliott Page, Bill Irwin and Samantha Morton rounding out the cast. Jesse Garcia and Will Yun Lee’s casting was exclusively reported by Deadline Feb. 10.
Hathaway, Damon, Safdie, Patel, Page and Irwin have worked with Nolan before. Universal revealed that Damon will play Odysseus in a first look photo of the actor donning a Gladiator-esque costume.
Valentine’s Day 2025 brought about more casting news for the film. First Deadline broke the news of Corey Hawkins; (The Piano Lesson, In the Heights) casting in the film. Then came the news of Nick Tarabay (Spartacus, The Expanse), Jimmy Gonzales (Busboys, Mayans M.C.) and Maurice Compte (Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, Mayans M.C.), also exclusively reported by Deadline.
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In early March, Deadline broke the news of Shōgun star Cosmo Jarvis’ casting in the film, but in early July, Deadline also exclusively broke that Jarvis stepped back from the project due to a scheduling conflict. Prometheus and The Defeated star Logan Marshall-Green took his place.
Is there a trailer for The Odyssey?
Yes, a full trailer has finally been released online after the clip was playing in theaters ahead of movies.
A second trailer, which gives glimpses of Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson as lead suitor Antinous, and John Leguizamo and more in their roles, arrived in May.
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