What do you do after your last film triumphed at the box-office, and swept the Oscars clean? Well, naturally, you decide to adapt The Odyssey.
Christopher Nolan’s next film is going to be an adaption of Homer’s “The Odyssey.” The film is being described as a “mythic action epic shot across the world,” using brand new IMAX film technology, that follows the tale of Odysseus and his 10-year journey home after the Trojan War.
“The Oddysey” is as epic as it gets. An adaptation of this massive poem, composed by Homer, around 8th century BCE, will result in an automatic 3+ hour movie. It’s also going to be the biggest risk of Nolan’s career as the source material has long been thought of as “unfilmable,” unfit for the screen, and I still believe it to be the case. Good luck, Chris.
Homer’s ancient Greek poem tackled the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his turbulent journey home after the Trojan War. If Nolan sticks to the source material, there will be encounters with Cyclops, Sirens, and witch-goddesses. Homer’s themes of heroism, loyalty, betrayal, and the spiritual will also be kept in the screenplay.
Previous adaptations include the 1954 film “Ulysses,” starring Kirk Douglas, and the 1997 TV miniseries “The Odyssey,” directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. If you want a great adaptation, albeit not a very faithful one, then Joel & Ethan Coen’s "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" takes the cake for me.
The cast for this one will be an ensemble of A-list actors: Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o. There have also been rumors of additional names being announced in the coming weeks.
If I had to guess, Tom Holland is playing Telemachus and Matt Damon is Odysseus. Purely a guess, but the casting makes sense given the age difference, and previous reports that they were co-leads of the film.
Production on the globe-trotting film is set to begin in January. Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is set to hit theaters on July 17, 2026.
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