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.
The Odyssey is still in production, so 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?
Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.
— Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) December 23, 2024
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.
On July 17, 2025, a year before the film’s premiere, tickets for early IMAX 70mm screenings of The Odyssey in select theaters worldwide went on sale. Before The Odyssey, such a move had been unheard of from a major film studio. The fact that these tickets were almost sold out within an hour is a testament to how popular Nolan and his films are with audiences.
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 encounter 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 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.
Ludwig Göransson will compose the film’s score, having worked with Nolan to create music for Oppenheimer and Tenet. Oppenheimer’s costume designer, Ellen Mirojnick, will also team up with Nolan once more to create the costumes for The Odyssey.
The visual effects will be provided by the studio, DNEG. Andrew Jackson will serve as the VFX supervisor, making this his fourth collaboration with Nolan after working on Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer.
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 in The Odyssey remain shrouded in mystery.
- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Tom Holland as Telemachus
- Anne Hathaway
- Zendaya
- Lupita Nyong’o
- Robert Pattinson
- Charlize Theron as Circe
- 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
- Ryan Hurst
- Anthony Molinari
- Logan Marshall-Green
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.
Tom Holland also gave some high praise to Nolan’s take on The Odyssey, saying in an interview that the film’s script is “the best script [he’s] ever read.” Likewise, actor Corey Hawkins said that The Odyssey will be “epic in a different sort of way,” calling Nolan a “master of detail” with a style that’s “indie filmmaking on a very different budget.”
It was rumored that Tom Holland was playing the lead role in the film. However, it was revealed that Damon will portray Odysseus, and that Holland will play the character’s son, Telemachus.
Though details surrounding the entire cast have yet to be confirmed, OneMan.com claimed that Hathaway will play Odysseus’s wife Penelope. Likewise, Zendaya will allegedly play the deity Athena, while Safdie and Nyong’o will portray 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?
Matt Damon, 54, has undergone a remarkable physical transformation for his role as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, “The Odyssey.”
— backgridus (@BackgridUS) March 27, 2025
Photos from the set in Favignana, Italy, reveal Damon shirtless, showcasing a chiseled physique, long gray beard, and brown pants,… pic.twitter.com/GYFxldePG9
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 claimed that The Odyssey was 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.
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 armor with a simple yet striking design.
Likewise, Ekathimerini.com reported that the production took place in the Peloponnese Region in southern Greece, specifically at Methoni Castle, Voidokilia Beach, and the archaeological site of the Acrocorinth palace.
Holland was already 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. Also, Deadline reported that scenes were shot in a studio lot soundstage in Los Angeles. Filming was even said to have taken place at Scotland’s Findlater Castle and Culbin Forest, as well as in various regions of Iceland. Variety claimed that more filming will take place in Ireland.
The Odyssey was also filmed in Western Sahara for four days near the city of Dakhla. However, the production took place in the Moroccan-occupied part of the region, garnering controversy from Reporters Without Borders, who accused Nolan and his team of “unknowingly and unwittingly” contributing to “Morocco’s repression of the Sahrawi people and to the Moroccan regime’s efforts to normalize its occupation of Western Sahara.”
In addition, shooting reportedly took place in Malta. Filming finally wrapped in Los Angeles on August 8, ending six months of shooting around the globe for Nolan’s sprawling, mythological epic.
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 anthropomorphic 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.
Is there a trailer for The Odyssey?
The first teaser trailer for #ChristopherNolan‘s #TheOdyssey has been released. However, there is a catch. https://t.co/2WwToQw4Gy
— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) July 2, 2025
Yes, but it’s exclusive to theaters. A teaser trailer for The Odyssey was revealed as a preview in screenings for Jurassic World Rebirth. The video shows Telemachus searching for his father, with Jon Bernthal’s character sharing stories about Odysseus’s alleged fate and whereabouts. Bernthal’s character says, “Some say he’s rich, some say he’s poor. Some say he’s perished, some say he’s imprisoned.”
The trailer then cuts to a shot of Odysseus stranded on a piece of debris in the middle of the ocean, with Bernthal musing, “What kind of prison could hold a man like that?” This trailer succeeds in building hype, setting up Odysseus’s journey home as he tries to escape a prison unleashed by the gods themselves.
The trailer also features shots of the Trojan Horse on the beach and a group of soldiers entering a cave, quite possibly the Cyclops’s.
Is there a poster for The Odyssey?
A film by Christopher Nolan. Shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. In theaters 7 17 26. #TheOdysseyMovie pic.twitter.com/lizYuc3Mu7
— odysseymovie (@odysseymovie) July 2, 2025
Universal released the first poster for The Odyssey on the film’s official X account on July 2, 2025. This ominous poster depicts a statue head staring up at a dark sky with embers in the wind, accompanied by a tagline that reads, “Defy the gods.” It also states that the entire film will be shot with IMAX cameras, making The Odyssey the first movie to be filmed in this manner.
