Next summer promises to be the most interesting in cinema with the arrival of The Odysseythe ambitious adaptation of the epic Homer prepared by acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan.
With Matt Damon Leading a cast full of big stars, the film’s plot addresses Odysseus’ long return journey after the legendary Trojan War. After angering Poseidon and other Greek gods Odysseus is forced to cross the oceans on a decade-long quest to return to Ithaca.
Throughout his journey, our protagonist will encounter several characters from Greek mythology, such as, for example, Telemachus, son of Odysseus/Ulysses and Penelope; the lustful goddess Calypso; the giant cyclops Polyphemus; the brilliant sorceress Circe; the goddess Athena; or the vengeful sea god Poseidon.
The film is without a doubt Nolan’s most ambitious project to date, where the first-time director will take The Odyssey to the IMAX format showing the adaptation of Homer as it has never been captured on film before.
But the filmmaker intends to go further in search of “things that haven’t been done before” in cinema. And it certainly looks like it more than served its purpose.
Christopher Nolan used more than 600,000 meters of film to film The Odyssey
During a recent interview with empireNolan revealed that “filmed more than 600,000 meters of film” during the production of The Odysseywhich took 91 days to film earlier this year.
“As a filmmaker, you look for gaps in film culture, things that haven’t been done before.. And what I saw was that all that great mythological cinematographic work that I grew up with – the films of Ray Harryhausen and others – I had never seen done with the forcefulness and credibility that a Hollywood blockbuster, with a top-tier budget and in IMAX format, could achieve”, shared the director.
Nolan, in his usual style, shot a “pretty primitive” shoot, with the cast and crew filming in as many real locations as possible, including filming on the high seas.
“It is vast, terrifying, wonderful, and benevolent as conditions change. We wanted to capture how difficult these trips would have been for people. And the act of faith that involved entering an unknown and unexplored world…
Integrating real-world physicality into filmmaking enriches storytelling in interesting ways. Because every day you face a world that puts obstacles in your path”, he explained.
In addition to Matt Damon, the film’s cast includes a cast of the caliber of Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Ben Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel and Mia Goth, among many others.
Produced by Syncopy Production and Universal Pictures, The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17, 2026. What do you think of everything Christopher Nolan is doing with the film?
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