The Odyssey is heading to the biggest screens this summer as Christopher Nolan tackles his most ambitious project yet. Based on the Homer epic, the movie charts the story of legendary Greek king of Ithaca, Odysseus, as he undertakes a huge journey to return home to his wife and son after the Trojan War. Matt Damon leads the charge as Odysseus in a seriously star-studded cast including Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal.
Tickets are already on sale if you want to catch it in IMAX (you can see why that might be worth it here too), and the cast have been on the press trail already. So far, we've had Holland comparing Nolan to Marvel and Damon lamenting the potential end to Hollywood filmmaking as we know it. For more on this, as well as all the details you need to know on the cast, plot, and trailer of the film, read on for our complete guide below.
While you're at it, have a read of our list of the best Christopher Nolan movies too, ahead of seeing where The Odyssey might land.
The Odyssey release date
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has a set release date of July 17, 2026 – so get it in your diaries if you haven't already.
Because this is Nolan, it will arrive exclusively in theaters worldwide during the summer blockbuster season. The best way to watch it is on an IMAX screen, as this is the first movie ever shot completely in the format.
The Odyssey cast
If you thought Oppenheimer featured a stacked cast, it's nothing compared to The Odyssey.
This film sees an all-star cast come together to bring this epic story to the big screen, with many of Nolan's former collaborators returning. That includes Matt Damon and Benny Safdie.
The cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, and Elliot Page, joined by other Hollywood A-listers like Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron.
Damon will take on the lead role of Odysseus, the legendary Greek king whose journey we follow. This was confirmed via a first look image, which showed Damon in costume looking ready for battle. We've seen some glimpses at the rest of the cast in character too in the early trailers.
You can see the confirmed The Odyssey cast so far below:
- Matt Damon – Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca
- Tom Holland – Telemachus, Odysseus' son
- Anne Hathaway – Penelope, Odysseus' wife
- Zendaya – Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war
- Robert Pattinson – Atinous, one of Penelope's suitors
- Charlize Theron – Calypso, a nymph
- Jon Bernthal – Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta
- Benny Safdie – Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus and the commander of the Achaeans during the Trojan War
- Himesh Patel – Eurylochus, Odysseus's second-in-command
- John Leguizamo – Eumaeus, Odysseus' servant
- Mia Goth – Melantho, Penelope's maid
- Lupita Nyong'o – Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra
- Bill Irwin – Polyphemus
- Samantha Morton – Circe
- Jimmy Gonzales – Cepheus
- Andrew Howard – Polites
- Elliot Page – Hermes (rumored)
The Odyssey plot
If you haven't already guessed it from the title, The Odyssey will be based on Homer's epic ancient Greek poem of the same name.
One of the oldest surviving literary works, written around the 8th or 7th century BC, The Odyssey tells the story of Greek hero Odysseus. It follows this king of Ithaca as he journeys home from Troy after the decade-long Trojan War.
His homecoming journey also takes another 10 years, as Odysseus encounters many fantastical threats, including angry gods, monsters, and a vicious whirlpool. While Odysseus is absent, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must contend with unruly suitors who are determined to be Penelope's new husband.
Over the years, The Odyssey has been retold countless times, so it will be interesting to see how Nolan interprets the classic story. However, one thing is for sure – it is set to be the director's most epic feature yet.
Jim Orr, Universal Pictures' distribution chief, said at CinemaCon in early April 2025 that the film will be "a visionary, once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would quite likely be proud of."
Nolan revealed in November 2025 that he shot over two million feet of film - nearly 400 miles worth - including filming on the open ocean. To accomplish this feat, he spent "four months" at sea, calling the experience "pretty primal."
"This movie was a nightmare to film… but in all the right ways, and we had an incredible time filming," Nolan later said of the process, per The Hollywood Reporter
Speaking about the scale of the production, Matt Damon gave some insight into what it was like on set. "I can say, without hyperbole, that it was the best experience of my career. I saw the horse on the beach and I was just like, 'Fuck.' It was just so cool," he stated. "We were shooting that [Trojan horse] stuff next week, so I go, 'How are you going to do it?'" Damon remembers. "And [Nolan] goes, 'I don't know. We'll just get in there and figure it out.'"
Is there a The Odyssey trailer?
Yes, there are two trailers for The Odyssey.
The first teaser was more of a mood piece, introducing us to some of the awe-inspiring imagery we'll be witnessing on screens next summer. But we've already got first looks at Matt Damon's Odysseus ("After years of war, no one could stand between my men… and home"), the siege of Troy, and a taste of the film's soul-stirring Ludwig Göransson score.
The second trailer was released in May 2026 and revealed a bit more of the story. In the new footage, which you can watch above, Odysseus speaks to Charlize Theron's Calypso, telling of his desire to return home to his wife and son. We also see some glimpses of that treacherous journey, including battles with giants and a cyclops too. The trailer also reveals some of what life at home is like for Penelope and Telemachus as they must deal with constant suitors wanting to take Odysseus' place, including Robert Pattinson's Atinous.
New footage was also shown to attendees at 2026's CinemaCon, including a scene between Odysseus and Charlize Theron's Calypso.
As we eagerly await Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, check out our guide to all the other movie release dates you need to add to your calendar.
