Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
U the speculation can finally end. Universal took to social media on Monday to give a gift to movie fans everywhere: the first official description of Christopher Nolan’s next film. It is called The Odyssey which, yes, is a adaptation of Homer’s poem.
“Christopher Nolan’s next film The Odyssey is a mythical epic action shot around the world with the new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s seminal saga to IMAX movie screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026,” the statement read.
Written by Homer centuries before the birth of Christ, The Odyssey is the following The Iliad. It follows Odysseus, a Greek hero who travels home after the Trojan War. A sprawling adventure with mythical creatures, battles and more, it’s a story that has been adapted into seemingly every medium in seemingly every era. But, coming from Nolan, you can be sure that this will be the biggest, most faithful and massive adaptation ever. In addition, it is a far cry from previous rumors about the film, such as that it was about helicopter police or the one reported by this website that it was a movie about vampires. Hey, at least it’s a period movie.
Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o star although there is no word on who will play who. But let’s speculate a little. We think – and this is totally from my io9 colleague Sabina Graves – that it would make sense to see Matt Damon as Odysseus, Holland as his son Telemachus, Hathaway as Penelope, Theron as Athena, Pattinson as and Poseidon (or Cyclops), Nyong’o as Circe, and Zendaya as Calypso. But, again, pure speculation.
And what is the “new IMAX film technology” that the studio is proposing? Sounds exciting. But not as exciting as Nolan for the biggest story of his entire career, and maybe his second Oscar.
The Odysseydirected by Christopher Nolans, opens on July 17, 2026.
Want more io9 news? Check when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Warsand Star Trek free, what is next for the DC Universe in film and TVand everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
