Excitement is building for the sequel to Christopher Nolan’s critical and commercial hit, “Oppenheimer,” which won the Academy Award for Best Director, as new trailers and spots premiere.
The Odyssey is Homer’s classical literature, divided into 24 different books, preceded by the Iliad. The work tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, on his ten-year journey back to his homeland after the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters multiple dangers and discovers the death of his crew. Telemachus (Odysseus’ son), Penelope (Odysseus’ wife), Athena, Circe, Poseidon, and Zeus are all major characters.
Historians and scholars date the Odyssey to between 750 and 650 BC. The first printed Greek edition became available in 1488. In the centuries since then, the story has remained one of the most studied, adapted and parodied tales of all time, with adaptations including the 1911 silent film by Giuseppe de Liguoro, the 1954 Ulysses starring Kirk Douglas, and the 2000 Coen Brothers comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou?
With a new film adaptation on the horizon, here’s everything we know so far about Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Have any photos from the movie been released?
Universal released the first official image of the movie in X with the caption, “Matt Damon is Odysseus. #TheOdysseyMovie, directed by Christopher Nolan, will be released in theaters on July 17, 2026.”
Advance poster for “Odyssey”
©Universal/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Several posters have since been released, including one with the tagline “Defying the Gods.”
Who are the latest additions to the cast?
Anthony Molinari (“Barry”) is the newest addition to the cast of Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” having recently appeared in “Abbott Elementary,” “Animal Kingdom,” “The Offer,” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Molinari previously worked with Nolan on 2020’s TENET.
Travis Scott, Elliot Page (Inception), Himesh Patel (Tenet), Bill Irwin (Interstellar), and Samantha Morton (Minority Report) are the latest additions to the Odyssey cast, along with Mia Goth as Melantho, John Leguizamo as Eumeus, Raffy Gavron, and Shiloh Fernandez.
Goss is known for her roles in Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria, Infinity Pool, and A Cure for Wellness, as well as her recent scream queen roles in MaXXXine and Pearl. Leguizamo has been an actor for decades, earning Emmy nominations for his roles in When They See Us and Waco, and has also appeared in Encanto, Romeo + Juliet, John Wick and The Menu.
Gavron starred opposite Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born. Her breakthrough came when she co-starred with Jude Law and Juliette Binoche in Anthony Minghella’s film Breaking and Entertaining. Fernandez, on the other hand, is known for her roles in “The Evil Dead,” “Euphoria,” and “United States of Tara.”
Who else is cast in this movie? Have they worked with Nolan before?
Similar to the all-star cast assembled for Oppenheimer (which won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble), The Odyssey features some of Hollywood’s leading talent. In addition to Damon, the cast includes Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Zendaya and Lupita Nyong’o as Athena, Charlize Theron as Circe, Benny Safdie as Agememnon, and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus.
New additions Page, Patel and Irwin have all previously worked with Nolan, with Irwin in particular providing the voice of the robot TARS in “Interstellar.” Damon recently appeared in Oppenheimer as Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, after a low-profile appearance in Interstellar. Pattinson starred as Neil in Tenet alongside John David Washington and Elizabeth Debicki. Going back a bit, Hathaway had supporting roles as an astronaut in Interstellar and Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, and it’s been just over a decade since she last worked with Nolan.
Odyssey marks the first collaboration with Nolan for Holland, Zendaya, Nyong’o and Theron. Real-life couple Holland and Zendaya will be reunited on screen for the first time since Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Has the movie footage been released?
Yes, the teaser trailer was leaked on TikTok and X during its theatrical release. The 70-second preview is exclusive to theaters and is consistent with Nolan’s dedication to the theatrical experience. The release of the seven-time Oscar winner “Oppenheimer” marks the director’s move from Warner Bros. to Universal, and was motivated by Warner Bros.’ announcement that all of its 2021 theatrical releases will be released simultaneously on HBO Max.
The teaser features Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, and his son Telemachus, played by Tom Holland.
“Darkness. The laws of Zeus have been shattered. Since my master died, there has been a kingdom without a king,” a voice says over footage of the violent sea crashing against the shore. “He knew it was a no-win war, but somehow…somehow, he won it.”
A lengthy trailer was released in December, showing Odysseus returning home after being shipwrecked with his army during a perilous journey. Check out the trailer below.
How was the movie shot?
The Odyssey is confirmed to be the first film to be shot entirely with Imax cameras. Nolan’s films have become synonymous with IMAX, including “Oppenheimer,” “Dunkirk,” “Tenet,” and “Interstellar,” the latter of which was re-released to great success. All 10th anniversary productions were shot with Imax cameras.
Where was the movie filmed?
As Variety exclusively reported, the film was partially shot in Sicily, which is famous for being the location of Odysseus’ wanderings in the epic poem. Filming began in the spring of 2025 on Favignana. Favignana is considered the “island of the goats” and many believe it is the place where Homer imagined Odysseus landing with his crew. Other locations include soundstages in Greece, Italy, England, Iceland, Morocco, Scotland, Ireland, and Hollywood, making “The Odyssey” a global shoot.
Who else is creatively involved?
Nolan also wrote and produced the film, reuniting him with his longtime producer and life partner Emma Thomas, who won the Best Picture Oscar for his work on Oppenheimer. Italian company Wildside, a Fremantle company, is servicing the Sicily filming portion.
How faithful will this film adaptation be to “The Odyssey”?
It’s unclear how closely Nolan intends to follow Homer’s famous story, but a Universal Pictures social media post teases that the film will be a “mythical action epic filmed around the world.”
When is the movie scheduled to be released?
The film is scheduled to be released in theaters worldwide on July 17, 2026. Director Nolan has previously released “Oppenheimer,” “Dunkirk,” “Inception,” and “The Dark Knight” in the same month.
Do you still have tickets?
Tickets for the IMAX screening were only sold in July 2025, one year before the film’s release. Tickets for other formats are expected to go on sale closer to the 2026 release date.
