Tom Holland, take note: Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, will be an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, Universal announced on Monday.
The studio revealed that Nolan’s upcoming project will be a “mythic action epic” filmed across the globe using cutting-edge IMAX technology. The movie will bring Homer’s timeless saga to IMAX screens for the first time, with a release date set for July 17, 2026.
The Odyssey, written by Homer around the 8th century BCE, follows the journey of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, as he faces countless challenges on his way home from the Trojan War. The poem delves into themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning, and the struggle against divine forces, featuring memorable episodes such as Odysseus’ encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the enchantress Circe, ultimately culminating in his reunion with his wife, Penelope.
While this will be the most significant adaptation of the text to date, The Odyssey has been previously portrayed in film, including the 1954 Italian movie Ulysses, directed by Mario Camerini and starring Kirk Douglas, and the 1997 miniseries The Odyssey, directed by Andrei Konchalovsky and starring Armand Assante. The poem has also inspired works such as James Joyce’s Ulysses, Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, and the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Nolan’s The Odyssey will star Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron. The film marks Nolan’s second collaboration with Universal following the success of Oppenheimer, and it is set to begin production early next year.
