The Odyssey, 2026

All eyes are on Nolan’s next after he won an Oscar for Oppenheimer. The Odyssey is the perfect film to follow that win, as it brings together all of Nolan’s frequent collaborators on and off-screen. The feature is led by Matt Damon in the titular role, and while plot details are scarce, it will follow Odysseus’ long journey back home after the Trojan War. Fans have only seen the celebrated director take a dig at the sci-fi genre, so the Greek epic gives him the right sandbox to flex all his directorial muscles with the inclusion of gods and monsters in the story.

Christopher Nolan movies already come with a certain amount of excitement around them, but The Odyssey is operating on a different level. After Oppenheimer became a box office monster and an awards-season juggernaut, Nolan is following it with one of the most famous stories ever told. That alone would be enough to make expectations feel ridiculous. Add in a massive cast, new IMAX technology, and the fact that Homer’s epic has been debated, adapted, and picked apart for centuries, and you get a full-on pressure cooker situation.

Epic poems are not only foundational world literature, but they’re also gorgeous examples of maximalist worldbuilding. Beowulf conquering Grendel. Gilgamesh and Enkidu slaying the Cedar Forest guardian Humbaba. Odysseus navigating between Scylla and Charybdis. The Odyssey, is the story of warrior Odysseus trying to return home to his wife Penelope after the Trojan War, it’s a foundational work in Western literature…

Nolan has admitted that adapting The Odyssey comes with a very specific kind of pressure, especially because audiences have such a deep connection to the story and to the idea of what an epic movie should be. “There’s a massive amount of pressure, anyone taking on The Odyssey is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere, and that comes with a huge responsibility.”
But none of this is new territory for Nolan, because as you may recall, before The Odyssey, he had already taken on one of pop culture’s most beloved characters with The Dark Knight trilogy, and he said that experience helped shape how he approached this new film.

The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, who is trying to return home after years away at war. Tom Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, while Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, Odysseus’ wife. Jon Bernthal also appears as Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon. Early footage has shown major moments, including the Trojan Horse, the Cyclops, and even the undead rising from the ground, so Nolan isn’t exactly taking the tiny indie approach here.
(Text by Collider)

Release Date – July 17, 2026
Runtime – 172 Minutes
Director – Christopher Nolan
Cast – Matt Damon (Odysseus) – Tom Holland (Telemachus) – Zendaya (Athena) – Anne Hathaway (Penelope) – Robert Pattinson (Antinous) – Charlize Theron (Circe) – Jon Bernthal (Menelaus) – John Leguizamo (Eumaeus) – Mia Goth (Melantho) – Himesh Patel (Eurylochus)