Matt Damon's Odysseus from Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey revealed: All you need to know

In some unexpected breaking news, film buffs around the globe received a tidbit from the set of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey. A first-look image of Matt Damon on set as Odysseus hit social media, prompting fans and industry experts to assess what we should expect from Nolan’s unreleased epic.

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The Odyssey - Announcement

Visionary director Christopher Nolan is known for being tight-lipped about his productions. Off the heels of his tremendous success with Oppenheimer, rumors were abuzz concerning his next project, with many clamoring for him to take the helm of the Bond franchise (something Nolan had shown interest in for years), amongst other prospective films.

On Christmas Eve 2024, Universal Studios shared via their official X account that his next film would be an adaption of Homer’s The Odyssey. The film is set to use cutting-edge technology, similar to Nolan’s past work, and slated to hit theatres in July 2026.

The entire tweet read:

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.

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The Odyssey - Synopsis

Homer’s epic poem and inspiration for the film tell the story of Odysseus and his 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. On his journey home, Odysseus is faced with several challenges from the Gods as well as an array of mythical beasts, while his wife and son deal with those trying to unseat his place at home.

This seemingly gives Nolan a rich canvas of drama and emotion to work with as we eagerly anticipate his interpretation of the historic tale.

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The Odyssey - A look at the cast

Nolan’s upcoming project boasts an ensemble A-list cast littered with spectacular talents and household names. Matt Damon, who plays the lead role in the film, was the first to be cast. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that our favorite web-slinger, Tom Holland, would be in the film, as well as his real-life partner Zendaya.

Then, Lupita Nyong’o and Anne Hathaway were confirmed for roles by Deadline before Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, and Benny Safdie were also announced.

Valentine’s Day 2025 brought more casting news to light via Deadline with the announcement that Corey Hawkins, Nick Tarabay, Jimmy Gonzales, and Maurice Compte would be joining the cast.