Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) has garnered plenty of hype over his next movie, The Odyssey. Given Nolan’s filmography, it was a surprise that he chose to create an epic Greek fantasy next. However, since this is Christopher Nolan, director of hits such as The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk, his next film was guaranteed to become a hit blockbuster event, no matter what it was.
Since The Odyssey is still in production, details surrounding Nolan’s new epic have been kept under wraps. However, enough has been revealed to show that the movie will be his biggest project yet. To clear up any confusion surrounding the film, here are all the facts and rumors surrounding The Odyssey shared so far.
When will The Odyssey come out?
It was announced on X that The Odyssey is scheduled to premiere in theaters on July 17, 2026. However, don’t expect another “Barbenheimer” double-feature phenomenon, as no other blockbuster films are currently set to debut alongside The Odyssey.
What is The Odyssey about?
Based on the ancient Greek poem by Homer, The Odyssey follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, on his years-long journey back home after fighting in the Trojan War, only to get held up as he encounters challenges from gods and monsters alike. In his absence, his wife Penelope and their son Telemachus struggle to fend off a band of suitors trying to claim Penelope’s hand in marriage.
Though the film is still in the middle of production, Jim Orr, Universal Pictures’ President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution said at CinemaCon 2025 that Nolan’s version of The Odyssey is a “visionary take” on the story and that this film “will be a once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would be very proud of.”
Who’s behind The Odyssey?
The film will be written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who will produce the film alongside his wife and longtime collaborator, Emma Thomas. With an estimated budget of $250 million reported by Puck, The Odyssey is set to be Nolan’s most expensive film production to date. It will also be Nolan’s second film distributed by Universal Pictures after their collaboration on 2023’s Oppenheimer.
The film’s photography will be helmed by Swedish cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who won an Academy Award for working on Oppenheimer. Hoytema also worked with Nolan on cinematography for Dunkirk, Interstellar, and Tenet. Universal revealed on X that Nolan will use “brand new IMAX technology” to film The Odyssey.
Who stars in The Odyssey?
Like Oppenheimer, The Odyssey is preparing to be another star-studded blockbuster epic. While actor Matt Damon is confirmed to be the face of this film as the hero, he will be joined by many of Hollywood’s biggest names, many of whom have worked with Nolan before. However, the supporting cast’s roles remain shrouded in mystery.
- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Tom Holland
- Anne Hathaway
- Zendaya
- Lupita Nyong’o
- Robert Pattinson
- Charlize Theron
- Jon Bernthal
- Benny Safdie
- John Leguizamo
- Elliot Page
- Himesh Patel
- Bill Irwin
- Samantha Morton
- Jesse Garcia
- Will Yun Lee
- Rafi Gavron
- Shiloh Fernandez
- Mia Goth
- Corey Hawkins
- Hick E. Tarabay
- Jimmy Gonzales
- Maurie Compte
- Michael Vlamis
- Iddo Goldberg
- Josh Stewart
- Cosmo Jarvis
- Ryan Hurst
Considering Nolan’s A-list status and the massive budget he has for The Odyssey, it’s no wonder he was able to get so many prominent actors on board.
It was rumored that Tom Holland was playing the lead role in the film. However, the revelation that Damon will portray Odysseus suggests that Holland will play another main character in the film.
Though details surrounding the cast have yet to be confirmed, OneMan.com claimed that Hathaway will play Odysseus’s wife Penelope and Holland will play their son, Telemachus. Likewise, Theron and Zendaya will allegedly play the sorcerer Circe and the deity Athena, respectively. On top of that, Safdie and Nyong’o will play Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, the king and queen of Mycenae. According to Chi Magazine, Pattinson will portray Hermes, the messenger of the gods.
Where and when will The Odyssey be filmed?
Universal stated on X that The Odyssey will be a “mythic action epic shot around the world,” and the production has already backed this up. Filming for The Odyssey began around February 2025 in Aït Benhaddou, a fortified village in Morocco.
Variety also claims that The Odyssey will be filmed in Sicily, likely on the Aeolian Islands but mainly on the island of Favignana, which was featured in Homer’s original poem. The production was spotted on Favignana on March 27, 2025, with photos leaking on X that depict both Damon and Zendaya on the set in their wardrobe for the film.
Matt Damon, 54, has undergone a remarkable physical transformation for his role as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, “The Odyssey.”
Photos from the set in Favignana, Italy, reveal Damon shirtless, showcasing a chiseled physique, long gray beard, and brown pants,… pic.twitter.com/GYFxldePG9
— backgridus (@BackgridUS) March 27, 2025
Based on Zendaya’s white dress and Damon’s ragged clothes in this scene, MSN has speculated that the former will actually play Nausicaa, the daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete, who assists Odysseus after he gets shipwrecked on Scheria/Phaeacia. If this is true, her character could become romantically involved with Holland’s, as Telemachus and Nausicaa begin a relationship in some versions of The Odyssey.
Tom Holland on the set of Christopher Nolan’s ‘THE ODYSSEY’ in Italy! pic.twitter.com/YoBXcMpSN0
— best of tom holland (@thollandrchive) March 27, 2025
Speaking of Holland, photos on X also showed him in Italy for filming, rocking an armor with a simple but striking design.
Likewise, Ekathimerini.com reported that the production will take place in the Peloponnese Region in the south of Greece, specifically the Methoni Castle, Voidokilia Beach, and the archeological site of the Acrocorinth palace.
Holland had already been spotted in Methoni, Greece, being filmed by Nolan on a classical wooden boat, wearing a brown cloak reminiscent of Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings films.
All in all, Nolan’s use of real-life locations in Greece shows how the director is trying to make his adaptation of The Odyssey as realistic as possible. For filming in Greece, the production has even collaborated with the NAF subsidiary of Faliro House Productions. Nevertheless, The Odyssey will conduct some filming in the United Kingdom.
How will Nolan create The Odyssey’s monsters?
Adapting The Odyssey is a surprising endeavor for Nolan, as the story shows Odysseus fighting giant monsters like the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the six-headed sea beast Scylla. Given Nolan’s reputation for filming with as many practical effects as possible, one could only imagine how he plans to bring this fantastical story to life without CGI.
@NolanAnalyst has reported on X that The Odyssey will use a 6×6 mechanical anthro puppet to present Polyphemus when he encounters Odysseus in his cave. This alleged approach harkens back to how Steven Spielberg used an animatronic T-Rex while filming Jurassic Park in the early ’90s. If Nolan does film Polyphemus like this, it is still likely that he will use some CGI to touch up the Cyclops to make it more lifelike.
