We recently got word that Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar) was working on a new film for Universal Pictures, with Matt Damon set to play the lead. The cast has since grown to include a wealth of A-list talent, but plot details had been kept under wraps - until now.
Numerous rumors and theories have been doing the rounds, with the mysterious project said to be everything from a futuristic action thriller inspired by '80s helicopter flick Blue Thunder, to a period vampire thriller. However, insiders maintained that nobody came close to nailing Nolan’s real idea, and they were absolutely right.
Universal has now officially announced that Nolan will helm an adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey.
"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."
Joining Damon will be Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron. No character details have been disclosed, but with Damon as the lead, there's a pretty good chance he will play Odysseus.
Homer's ancient Greek poem follows Odysseus and his crew on their journey home following the Trojan War, encountering all manner of threats along the way, including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe.
Will Nolan's take feature gods and monsters? We assume the filmmaker will want to helm a faithful adaptation, but there's always a chance he will decide to do a more grounded version of the story.
The poem has been adapted (sometimes very loosely) a number of times before, starting with the 1911 silent film by Giuseppe de Liguoro, and followed by 1954’s Ulysses starring Kirk Douglas. The Cohen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) is also based on the epic adventure, as is 2024’s The Return starring Ralph Fiennes.
Anime fans may also recall the '80s Ulysses 31 series, which put a futuristic spin on the tale.
Holland was quizzed about the project during a recent interview, but claimed to have been kept in the dark during his initial meeting with Nolan.
“To be perfectly honest, I don’t really know what it’s about,” the Spider-Man star said on The Dish podcast. “I’m super excited, but it’s been pretty quiet about the project. I met with [Nolan] and it was awesome. He kind of loosely pitched what it is, and I’m sure when he’s ready he’ll announce what it’s about.”
Hathaway was also asked how she feels about working with Nolan for what will be the third time following The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar.
“I have so many feelings about it that I don’t even know how to articulate,” she told WWD. “It fills me with so much joy. … I love Chris and Emma Nolan so much, and to be invited into their world [is] one of the best places you can find yourself. Getting to be invited twice really felt like something, three felt like it would’ve been greedy, so I never let myself hope that that would happen, and that it has makes me emotional, to be perfectly honest.”