This article contains spoilers for The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan’s motivation to adapt Homer’s The Odyssey was simple. The visionary director, whose last film with his new partner Universal Studios shattered expectations, decided to build his epic, mythological feature because he wanted to tackle a classical film genre that seems to have fallen out of favor with the Hollywood machinery. Just like sections of the audience want to see what Hollywood can do with a big budget behind something like a Western, Nolan was keen on following in the footsteps of Ray Harryhausen.
Harryhausen was responsible for a slew of clay models that were used for epic films like Clash of the Titans (1981), The Beast from 20,000 (1953), and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958). While the Sam Worthington starrer Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans received some traction from the Hollywood machinery, Nolan wanted to realize a project that harkened back to Harryhausen’s library of epic cinema. Speaking with Empire Magazine, he said:
“As a filmmaker, you’re looking for gaps in cinematic culture, things that haven’t been done before. And what I saw is that all of this great mythological cinematic work that I had grown up with – Ray Harryhausen movies and other things – I’d never seen that done with the sort of weight and credibility that an A-budget and a big Hollywood, IMAX production could do.”
The magazine also released a first look at Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic poem, which features its star-studded cast. Matt Damon essays the role of the King of Ithaca, Odysseus, whose journey is the central focus of the story. The images that were released depict the famed Trojan Horse ( a product of Odysseus’ own ingenuity), Tom Holland as the prince of Ithaca, Telemachus, and Anne Hathaway as Penelope of Sparta, Odysseus’ loyal queen. Also revealed in the first look was Mia Goth, who essays the role of Melantho, one of Penelope’s maids.
The Odyssey is a film right up Christopher Nolan’s alley.
Christopher Nolan enjoys messing with time in his works. Whether it be Tenet, Dunkirk, Inception, or Interstellar, time and its physical and symbolic properties are front and center in the stories that the director is known for. The Odyssey, much like the Iliad before it, starts in media res, or, in the middle of things, with the action being part of the opening act. The reader is filled in about the rest of the story throughout the narrative, with allusions and even firsthand recollections.
Christopher Nolan might indeed decide to adapt the story as it has been rendered in poetic form, choosing to start the story on Calypso’s island, and then recounting the fall of Troy in the middle of he story. Odysseus won’t be the first time Matt Damon would play a character defined by his journey home, having done so with Mark Watney in The Martian. Christopher Nolan, too, has tackled the theme of homecoming with Matthew McConaughey in his sci-fi offering, Interstellar.
The story that Nolan is dealing with has often been depicted in a linear pattern, i.e., the sequence of events often starts with the fall of Troy and ends with Odysseus’ return to Ithaca. However. Nolan might find it much more interesting to adapt the story in the manner in which it has been presented. While Odysseus faces the various monsters on his journey home, his wife Penelope would be dealing with a host of suitors, all of whom are rowdy and unwelcome. Anne Hathaway’s first look as the Queen of Ithaca already has fans excited for the sequences in Ithaca. The image that was shared might be of Penelope addressing the suitors just as her husband gets home.
Tom Holland’s Telemachus might be at Sparta in Empire Magazine’s First Look.
Empire Magazine also revealed the first proper look at Tom Holland’s Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope. The character goes on a quest of his own, looking for his father when the pressure from the suitors seems to be reaching a critical mass. The character visits all of Odysseus’ old comrades who have made it home, including the likes of Nestor and Menelaus, with the latter even inviting him to a feast to regale his own story of return from Troy with his wife, Helen.
The first look shows Telemachus partaking in a drink, or at least with a glass in his hand. This could be at Sparta with Menelaus, or it could very much be Ithaca during a separate feast.
Apart from the characters that have been revealed for the stacked cast, Hollywood Reporter has also confirmed that Charlize Theron will be essaying the role of Circe, the witch with whom Odysseus spent a year, and sired a second child, Telegonus. Odysseus has also sired children with the likes of the nymph Calypso, on whose island he was imprisoned for eight years. It is not known how detailed a film Christopher Nolan plans to make with the subject matter at hand, but the sort of success that can come with this project might finally give Hollywood the niche that it would like to corner after it leaves superhero films in the dust.
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The Odyssey’s Success Could Usher In A New Era for Hollywood
While it would be disingenuous to say that Hollywood has not tried to fall back on mytho-historical films again and again, Nolan’s take on the genre has already inspired a lot of confidence. While films like Troy, Clash/Wrath of the Titans, and Exodus: Gods and Kings have been huge let-downs, Gladiator II has managed to inspire a very miniscule hope for the genre.
Nolan, coming at the heels of a project like Oppenheimer, might just be the push that these types of films need to bring them back to the mainstream. There is no lack of content to adapt, and a lot more money can be spent on the actual production of these films across multiple studios, given that there is little to no money required to acquire the rights of such stories.
The Odyssey sails into theatres on July 17, 2026.
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