Expect a star-studded cast and gorgeous locations.
A new The Odyssey film adaptation is in the works! Making the news even sweeter is director Christopher Nolan at the helm and Matt Damon top billing a star-studded cast.
The production comes after the British-American filmmaker’s critically acclaimed and commercially successful Oppenheimer, and is his first foray into Greek mythology, after working mostly on sci-fi and war flicks. Business Insider reports that Nolan is also set to write the script.
Universal Pictures—a long-time Nolan collaborator— announced the movie a day before Christmas last year, saying it would be shot using a “brand new Imax film technology” and that it would hit theaters on July 17, 2026.
The POST gathers here everything else we know about the film so far.
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But first, what’s “The Odyssey” all about?
The Odyssey is one of Western literature’s seminal works. Given its immense cultural significance, as well as its scale and magnitude, any big screen adaptation is sure to be a mammoth undertaking. Good thing we have Nolan in the driver’s seat. If there’s any director who can take on the job, that would be him.
Homer is the attributed author of two ancient Greek poems that were composed in the 8th or 7th century BC, both of which chronicle the Trojan War. First is The Iliad which narrates the story of the last year of the ten-year war, and follows the exploits of the great Greek warrior Achilles and his Trojan counterpart Hector. The other is The Odyssey, which tells the story of the Greek king Odysseus (who was also an important character in The Iliad and his long and (extremely) winding journey to his island home, Ithaca.
Along the way, our protagonist—known for his sharp wit as much as he is for his courage— and his crew fight against a most interesting set of adversaries: a man-flesh-loving cyclops, a band of man-eating giants (why do these villains love human meat, anyway?), sirens, a witch who turns his men into swine, sea monsters, and another witch who falls in love with Odysseus. (The University of Pennsylvania has here a handy timeline.) Our hero also angers Zeus and Poseidon—well, aren’t they always angry—at least Athena is on his side who helps him get home.
Things back on Ithaca aren’t also looking rosy. Suitors are trying to take over Odysseus’ kingdom and convincing Penelope to marry one of them. Upon reaching Ithaca’s shores, Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar, scouts the actions of the suitors, before reclaiming his family and kingdom.
Phew! That was a mouthful!
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Matt Damon leads the star-studded cast
Being one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors, Nolan sure knows how to gather an A-list cast. On Monday, Feb. 17, Universal announced that award-winning actor, producer, and screenwriter Matt Damon will play the hero Odysseus, and even shared a first glimpse of the actor in his costume.
Other stars linked to the film include Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong’o, Benny Safdie, Bill Irwin, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, John Leguizamo, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Samantha Morton, Corey Hawkins, Nick Tarabay, Jimmy Gonzales, Maurice Compte, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez, and Mia Goth. It hasn’t been revealed, though, who will play who, so your guess is as good as mine.
Of this stellar ensemble, Damon, Hathaway, Pattinson, Patel, Safdie, Irwin, and Page have all previously worked with Nolan. This is the third Nolan-Damon collab after Oppenheimer (2023) and Interstellar (2014).
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Filming locations will be in Sicily, Morocco, the UK
Variety reports that The Odyssey will be partly filmed on the island of Favignana, part of the Egadi archipelago, near Sicily. Known in ancient times as Aegusa, or “goat island,” it’s believed to be the inspiration for the island where Odysseus lands and encounters the Cyclops, per The Guardian. Favignana is supposedly where they rested, hunted goats, barbecued them on the beach, and drank “strong red wine.”
Shooting on the island will begin in spring and is being handled by the Italian company Wildside, which also oversaw the production of the Oscar-nominated papal drama Conclave in Rome.
Per Variety, the scenes shot in Sicily are said to take up most of the mythical action in the film, while shooting locations in the UK and Morocco are also on the menu.
