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8.8
Universal Pictures Acclaimed

The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan Films · Christopher Nolan Filmography

2026 172 min R
Critic8.8
Adventure Action Fantasy Drama
Theaters IMAX Apple TV FindEdition
Trailer Where to Watch

Overview

Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War, chronicling his encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the nymph Calypso, while attempting to reunite with his wife, Penelope.
Story 8.9
Acting 8.8
Direction 9.2
Cinematography 9.5
Music 8.9
Pacing 8.2
Originality 8.6
Emotional Impact 8.7
Overall 8.8

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Cinema Desk

8.8 /10

IMAX milestone

Shot entirely on new IMAX 70 mm cameras with over 2 million feet of film, Nolan's largest technical undertaking since Dunkirk.

Homer on the big screen

A major Hollywood studio adaptation of the Odyssey has been an odd gap in cinema history. Nolan aims to fill it with tactile realism and mythic scale.

Ensemble power

Damon anchors as Odysseus while Hathaway, Holland, Pattinson, Zendaya, Nyong'o, and Theron populate a sprawling Bronze Age world.

Pre-release verdict

Full review pending wide theatrical release on July 17, 2026. Industry tracking projects an $80-100M opening weekend.

Pros

  • First full Hollywood Odyssey adaptation at this scale
  • Entirely shot on new IMAX 70 mm cameras
  • Massive ensemble cast
  • Ludwig Goransson's experimental Bronze Age score
  • Global on-location production across multiple countries
  • Premium-format presentation tailored for IMAX

Cons

  • Not yet in wide release - final critical scores TBD
  • R rating may limit family audience
  • Historical-accuracy debates over armor, accents, and casting
  • Requires premium format for the full intended impact
Verdict Pre-release preview - Christopher Nolan's most ambitious and expensive film to date. Trailers promise a tactile, IMAX-scale retelling of Homer's foundational epic with a star-studded ensemble and an experimental Bronze Age score.

AI Review

Christopher Nolan's $250M IMAX 70 mm Homer adaptation - tactile Bronze Age realism meets mythic scale with Matt Damon's decade-long voyage home.

Pre-release preview - Christopher Nolan's most ambitious and expensive film to date. Trailers promise a tactile, IMAX-scale retelling of Homer's foundational epic with a star-studded ensemble and an experimental Bronze Age score.

See it in IMAX 70 mm or 70 mm film if available. Avoid waiting for streaming - Nolan films are built for theaters.

Awards

Astra Midseason Movie Awards

Most Anticipated Film (H2 2026) · won

IMDb

Most Anticipated Film of 2026 · shortlisted

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Physical Date
Premiere
Festival
Status
Development

Nolan began writing after Oppenheimer's Oscar sweep in March 2024. Universal Pictures set up the project directly with a July 17, 2026 release date.

Announcement

Title revealed as The Odyssey in December 2024, an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic poem.

Casting

Matt Damon confirmed as Odysseus in February 2025; Tom Holland as Telemachus; ensemble assembled through early 2025 including Hathaway, Pattinson, Zendaya, Nyong'o, and Theron.

Principal photography

91 days from February 25 to August 5, 2025 across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, Western Sahara, Malta, and the Universal Studios Lot.

Post-production

Visual effects by DNEG. Weta Workshop provided special effects. Editor Jennifer Lame and VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson returned from prior Nolan productions.

Marketing

First-look still of Damon as Odysseus arrived in February 2025; teaser in July 2025; official trailer December 22, 2025; final trailer in May 2026.

Astra Midseason Movie Awards

Most Anticipated Film (H2 2026) won

IMDb

Most Anticipated Film of 2026 shortlisted

Production

Development

Nolan began writing after Oppenheimer's Oscar sweep in March 2024. Universal Pictures set up the project directly with a July 17, 2026 release date.

Announcement

Title revealed as The Odyssey in December 2024, an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic poem.

Casting

Matt Damon confirmed as Odysseus in February 2025; Tom Holland as Telemachus; ensemble assembled through early 2025 including Hathaway, Pattinson, Zendaya, Nyong'o, and Theron.

Principal photography

91 days from February 25 to August 5, 2025 across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, Western Sahara, Malta, and the Universal Studios Lot.

Post-production

Visual effects by DNEG. Weta Workshop provided special effects. Editor Jennifer Lame and VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson returned from prior Nolan productions.

Marketing

First-look still of Damon as Odysseus arrived in February 2025; teaser in July 2025; official trailer December 22, 2025; final trailer in May 2026.

Streaming

Theaters IMAX Apple TV FindEdition

Cast

Matt Damon Odysseus
Tom Holland Telemachus
Anne Hathaway Penelope
Robert Pattinson Antinous
Zendaya Athena
Lupita Nyong'o Helen of Troy / Clytemnestra
Charlize Theron Calypso
Samantha Morton Circe
Jon Bernthal Menelaus
Benny Safdie Agamemnon
John Leguizamo Eumaeus
Mia Goth Melantho
Himesh Patel Eurylochus
Bill Irwin Polyphemus
Elliot Page Undisclosed
Travis Scott Bard
Anthony Molinari Undisclosed
Jovan Adepo Undisclosed

Characters

Odysseus Matt Damon
Telemachus Tom Holland
Penelope Anne Hathaway
Antinous Robert Pattinson
Athena Zendaya
Helen of Troy / Clytemnestra Lupita Nyong'o
Calypso Charlize Theron
Circe Samantha Morton
Menelaus Jon Bernthal
Agamemnon Benny Safdie
Eumaeus John Leguizamo
Melantho Mia Goth
Eurylochus Himesh Patel
Polyphemus Bill Irwin
Undisclosed Elliot Page
Bard Travis Scott
Undisclosed Anthony Molinari
Undisclosed Jovan Adepo

Crew

Christopher Nolan Director
Christopher Nolan Writer
Emma Thomas Producer
Ludwig Goransson Composer
Hoyte van Hoytema Cinematographer
Jennifer Lame Editor
Ruth De Jong Production Designer
Ellen Mirojnick Costume Designer
Andrew Jackson Visual Effects Supervisor
Thomas Hayslip Executive Producer

Videos

Official Trailer

Soundtrack

  1. The Odyssey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — Ludwig Goransson
  2. Bronze Gong Suite — Ludwig Goransson
  3. Lyre Theme — Ludwig Goransson feat. Callum Armstrong
  4. Aulos Passage — Ludwig Goransson feat. Rosa Fragorapti
  5. Vocal Theme — Ludwig Goransson feat. James Blake

Trivia

  • First feature film in history shot entirely on IMAX 70 mm film cameras, using a newly manufactured lighter and quieter model developed specifically for this production.
  • Over 2 million feet (610 km) of IMAX 70 mm film was used during principal photography.
  • The official trailer accumulated 121.4 million global views within 24 hours, the eighth most-viewed trailer of 2025.
  • A six-minute Trojan Horse prologue debuted in IMAX 70 mm ahead of One Battle After Another and Sinners in December 2025.
  • Composer Ludwig Goransson recorded 35 custom bronze gongs and period instruments including the aulos and lyre, avoiding a traditional orchestra.
  • Nolan cast rapper Travis Scott as a bard, bridging Homer's oral poetry tradition with modern performance culture.
  • Principal photography wrapped nine days ahead of schedule after 91 shoot days across multiple countries.
  • Tickets for select opening-weekend IMAX 70 mm screenings went on sale a full year in advance, an unprecedented move for a major studio release.

Quotes

"After years of war, no one could stand between my men and home. Not even me."

— Odysseus

"Promise me you'll come back. What if I can't?"

— Penelope / Odysseus

"My journey ends where it began - at home."

— Odysseus

"The sea remembers every name it takes."

— Narrator / Trailer

"You sailed to survive. Now sail to return."

— Athena

"After years of war, no one could stand between my men and home. Not even me."

"Promise me you'll come back. What if I can't?"

"My journey ends where it began - at home."

"The sea remembers every name it takes."

Goofs

  • Some trailer shots show Viking-style longship details that differ from typical Bronze Age Greek vessel reconstructions.
  • Odysseus's helmet design intentionally resembles later classical armor rather than a strict late-Bronze-Age reconstruction.
  • Several characters use contemporary American phrasing in the trailers, which some viewers felt clashed with the ancient setting.

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Collections

Part of Christopher Nolan Filmography

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Universe

Homeric Mythology / Greek Epic Cycle

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Franchise

Christopher Nolan Films

Standalone adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, tied culturally to the Iliad and the broader Greek heroic cycle.

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Recommendations & Alternatives

A similarly themed alternative is Dune: Part Two.

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