One year from 'The Odyssey': What we know so far about Christopher Nolan's next movie

USA Today

6 days ago

With the release one year from this Thursday, July 17, here's what we know so far about Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey."
The journey begins next year.
Christopher Nolan's upcoming film "The Odyssey," an adaption of Homer's epic poem, is currently in production with a release date set for summer 2026.
Just how Nolan plans to adapt the classic piece of literature is yet to be seen, but Universal Pictures, in a December 2024 post on X, described the film as "a mythic action epic shot across the world," adding it would use "brand new IMAX film technology" to bring Homer's saga to IMAX screens for the first time. The film is touted to be the first movie to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras.
Nolan is writing and producing the film with longtime colleague and life partner Emma Thomas, who won the Best Picture Oscar for 'Oppenheimer' alongside Nolan. Thomas has served as producer on Nolan's movies going back to "Following." She and Nolan have been married since 1997 and share four children.
A new teaser poster for the film dropped online July 2 with the tagline "Defy the gods."
With the release one year from this Thursday, July 17, here's what we know so far about the film, including release date and cast.
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When will Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' release?
"The Odyssey" is scheduled to hit theatres on July 17, 2026, according to Universal Pictures.
'The Odyssey' cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, more
As with most Nolan projects, cast details of the "The Odyssey" have been strictly guarded, with only Matt Damon officially announced to play Odysseus, king of Ithaca, in the film. The film would be Damon's third collaboration with Nolan after "Oppenheimer" and "Interstellar."
However, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Jon Bernthal, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, John Leguizamo and Shiloh Fernandez are also expected to be a part of the cast, according to multiple reports, including Variety and Deadline.
Holland, in an October 2024 appearance on "Good Morning America" had confirmed his casting in the film, though he stayed away from divulging further details.
'All I can say is that I'm incredibly excited,' Holland had said on the show. 'And, obviously honored, but that's all I can say because, to be honest, that's all I know.'
The "Spiderman" actor is expected to play Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, as per reports in Variety and the New York Times.
In a July 11 interview with GQ, Holland said his experience on "The Odyssey's" set was "amazing."
"The job of a lifetime, without a doubt," Holland said. "The best experience I've had on the film set. Incredible. It was exciting. It was different. And I think the movie is going to be unlike anything we've ever seen."
Holland added he was delighted to have gotten the chance to work and share scenes with Damon and Hathaway, both of whom have been his heroes.
"To share scenes with them, to learn from them, to become friends with them, I couldn't have asked for a better job," Holland told the magazine. "And I'm so proud of the work I've done. I came to work every day with a real sense of purpose and a point to prove, and I'm so grateful for Chris to have given me that opportunity."
'The Odyssey' production
Filming for the "The Odyssey" is reportedly underway at different locations across the world with Nolan, Damon and other cast members spotted in several countries including Morocco, Scotland and Greece.
BBC News reported Damon and Holland were spotted July 14 in Burghead on Scotland's Moray Firth coast.
Other filming locations include the island of Favignana off the western coast of Sicily, Italy, as well as sites in the United Kingdom and Morocco, according to Variety.
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'The Odyssey' teaser
The first look of "The Odyssey" was released exclusively in theaters in July, the New York Times and Variety reported, playing ahead of "Jurassic World Rebirth," which is also produced by Universal Pictures.
According to reports, the 70-second trailer opens with shots of the sea and a narration about Odysseus' victory in the Trojan War.
'Darkness. Zeus' laws smashed to pieces. A kingdom without a king since my master died,' the voice, assumed to be Robert Pattinson's says, according to Variety. 'He knew it was an unwinnable war, and then somehow … somehow, he won it.'
Viewers then see Holland's Telemachus, who tells Jon Bernthal, whose character details haven't been revealed, that he has "to find out what happened to my father." The teaser then fast forwards to "one year later," where it is revealed Damon's Odysseus is stranded in the ocean, reports said.
While footage from the trailer quickly leaked online, appearing on X and TikTok, it was swiftly taken down, the reports said.
What is Homer's 'Odyssey' about?
'The Odyssey' is a 24-book epic by Homer that tells the arduous 10-year journey story of Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he travels home after the Trojan War, according to Britannica. Odysseus' journey is long and harsh and full of challenges and encounters with the gods, polyphemuses (a type of one-eyed giant in Greek mythology), the Sirens (a half bird and half woman type creature who lured sailors to destruction) and the witch-goddess Circe. Odysseus' journey culminates in a reunion with his wife Penelope and son Telemachus, who battle aggressive suitors looking to grab the throne while he is away.
Historians and scholars date 'The Odyssey' to the 8th century sometime between 725–675 BC. According to Britannica, the poem was "intended for oral performance" and the first printed Greek version was produced in 1488 in Florence.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [e-mail] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.