One of the biggest mysteries in Hollywood has been solved. Christopher Nolan’s next movie will be The Odyssey, an adaptation of the Greek epic poem by Homer.
In a post on X, Universal Pictures, the studio that will distribute Nolan’s next movie, wrote, “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.”
The Odyssey dates back to the 8th century BC and follows the saga of the Greek hero Odysseus and his venture home after the Trojan War. The tumultuous journey deals with themes of loyalty, vengeance, and hospitality. The Odyssey is commonly associated with Homer’s other epic poem, The Iliad.
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Some of the notable adaptations include 1954’s Ulysses, with Kirk Douglas in the titular role; 1997’s The Odyssey, a television series starring Armand Assante as Odysseus; and The Coen Brothers’ comical crime musical O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which is loosely inspired by Homer’s epic. In 2024, Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche starred in The Return, a dramatization of the last sections of The Odyssey.
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
The Odyssey’s confirmed cast includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron. Nolan will write and direct The Odyssey. Nolan and his wife, Emma Thomas, will also produce under their Syncopy production banner. Production is expected to begin in the first half of 2025.
The Odyssey marks Nolan’s first movie since 2023’s Oppenheimer, the biopic about the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). Oppenheimer won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, and grossed over $976 million.