When you think about it, the story of The Odyssey has had a long old journey. It’s thought to be one of the oldest surviving stories there is. In fact, it’s a poem written by Homer nearly three thousand years ago.
The Odyssey is often described as an epic poem, and we know filmmaker Christopher Nolan wanted to make his most epic film yet. In fact, The Odyssey is his thirteenth film, with all 12 before largely loved by critics and audiences (Nolan’s films include Interstellar, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight trilogy). The Odyssey is certainly his most expensive film, with a money pot of $250 million. But is it his longest? Or does that accolade still go to Oppenheimer? We dish up all we know so far…
Wait, The Odyssey’s based on a poem??
Yes but this isn’t just any poem. It’s EPIC. So in short the story is: the king of Ithaca, Odysseus, has been extremely busy for ten years fighting the Trojan War but now he’s on his way back to his family. Which takes another ten years. This journey is stuffed full of adventure and peril. It’s an enormous quest and Odysseus is majorly heroic. See? The story of stories. Quests and heroes being the stuff of films, you can see why The Odyssey appealed to a filmmaker like Nolan.
Let’s take a minute to colour in the story a little for you here. Odysseus is played by Matt Damon, complete with a long, real beard; Penelope his queen is played by Anne Hathaway and their son Telemachus by Tom Holland.
Obstacles of mythic proportions are standing in the way of the king returning to his wife and his son. His family are in a vulnerable position. His wife is gorgeous and would-be suitors are flocking around her. The palace is full of them! The chief suitor and most threatening being Antinous, played by Robert Pattinson. There. Looks prettier now, doesn’t it?
Okay, so where were we. Ah yes, obstacles of mythic proportions. They are in the shape of a cyclops, sirens and nymphs. You can see the guy’s struggle.
Who’s in The Odyssey?
So now you’ve had a sneak look at the flavour of the cast, here’s a bigger list:
• Matt Damon (Odysseus)
• Anne Hathaway (Penelope)
• Tom Holland (Telemachus)
• Robert Pattinson (Antinous)
• Lupita Nyong’o
• Zendaya • Charlize Theron
• Jon Bernthal
• Benny Safdie
When’s The Odyssey out?
17 July 2026. It’s the summer blockbuster. Of the decade, quite possibly.
Sounds like an epic film. Does The Odyssey have an epic runtime?
Reportedly around 2 hours and 53 minutes. This news appeared online, but then disappeared… But we are all so keen on knowing – because the length of a blockbuster, and especially a Christopher Nolan blockbuster, is big news, right – that news outlets have been going with it anyway. So if The Odyssey is 172 minutes long, it’s coming in at 8 minutes shorter than Oppenheimer (180 mins). (For Oppenheimer, some cinema audiences were relieved – sorry! – when some cinemas had an interval comfort break.)
Where it all began…
Once upon a time, around 8th century BC in Greece a man called Homer (no, not that one) wrote The Odyssey, which started out as stories spoken out loud down the pub at feasts.
This became part of Greek literature and has endured, for all of this time, as one of the greatest stories ever told. And now, one of our biggest filmmakers is bringing one of the greatest stories to cinema. And we can’t wait. Because this epic poem about an epic voyage will undoubtedly be an epic film.
Big stories demand big screens… roll out the IMAX cameras
Fittingly, The Odyssey was shot specially in IMAX for an IMAX screening, so you know what to do when tickets become available… But even if we see the film on a regular screen we’re prepared to be completely wowed. In the US, tickets for special IMAX screenings for the opening weekend went on sale super-early and have sold out already.
Distributor Universal describes the film as "a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX technology”, which “brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time.”
Who is scoring The Odyssey
It's rumoured that Ludwig Goransson will be scoring The Odyssey. If confirmed, this will be Goransson's third film for Nolan following Tenet and Oppenheimer, for which Goransson won his second Oscar for Best Original Score (he won his first for Marvel's 2018 adventure Black Panther).
The Odyssey sure takes us on a journey, location-wise
With sumptuous cinematography from idyllic locations already hinted at in the trailer, be prepared for backdrops from Greece and Italy as well as Malta and Western Sahara. Scenes shot in deserts, castles, and along the Mediterranean coast all help to build the storyworld of The Odyssey.
IMAX cameras are BIG, natch, which can cause huge problems on set
We love the effects of IMAX, but it stands to reason something that shoots for a big screen needs a big camera. And IMAX cameras are so enormous they can actually block actors from seeing each other. Matt Damon told CBS News that mirrors had to be installed on set so actors could look into each other’s eyes to actually, like, act.
The Odyssey basically uses the cast of The Avengers
Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal are just some of the actors that are in The Odyssey that have also been in Marvel or DC films. Proving that The Odyssey may be more ancient in origin than the Avengers, but it’s still superhero-adjacent.
There are a lot of Hollywood A-listers in The Odyssey
This is a truly ensemble project, in which even the supporting cast is made up of A-listers. With Elliot Page from Inception and John Leguizamo (Encanto) just some of the names taking supporting roles in The Odyssey, it’s a starry film cast with some of Nolan’s – and our – favourite actors.
For many film fans Christopher Nolan is one of the storytelling masters. And we are counting down the days until we get to feast on his latest banquet.
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