Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey: Release date, cast and plot for next film

From very early on, it became clear that the film was set to have an all-star cast even by Nolan's standards – with Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson among those confirmed for roles at the outset – and since then, a number of big names including Jon Bernthal and Elliot Page and Himesh Patel have joined the ensemble. And we wouldn't rule out any further additions, either.

News of The Odyssey came after months of speculation hypothesising what Nolan's first post-Oppenheimer film might, with reports ranging from a vampire film set in the 1920s to an espionage drama.

But on 23rd December, Universal confirmed on social media that Nolan would be bringing an adaptation of The Odyssey to the big screen, describing the film as a "mythic action epic shot around the world using brand new IMAX film technology".

So when can fans expect to see it? And what exactly is the film about? Read on for everything you need to know.

The Odyssey release date

It was confirmed in Universal's post announcing the news that the film will arrive on Friday 17th July 2026 – so at time of writing, there's still around a year and a half to wait, with production expected to get underway in the early part of 2025.

Of course, it's no surprise that the film will arrive at the height of summer, with that time of year having long been favoured by Nolan, even when it came to the release of Tenet at the height of the pandemic.

Oppenheimer also arrived in mid-July – famously on the same day as Barbie – and no film fan will need a reminder of how successful that film proved to be. We wonder what film will be paired with The Odyssey for a possible double bill in 2026...

The Odyssey cast

The cast for the film looks set to be extremely star-studded – even by Nolan's own lofty standards.

Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron were all confirmed for the cast early on, although at this point we're still awaiting confirmed details on who they'll be playing.

Meanwhile, there have been a slew of casting announcements since, including both previous Nolan collaborators and those working with him for the first time, with the confirmed list consisting of (deep breath): Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia and Will Yun Lee.

Given the film is telling such an epic story, we imagine there will still be a fair few more cast members announced in due course – when we catch wind of who else will star and what roles they'll be taking on, we'll update this page accordingly.

As for who is playing who, reports appear to indicate that Damon will have the lead role of Odysseus while Holland will play Telemachus, but we're still waiting for 100% confirmation on that front.

The Odyssey plot

Of course, The Odyssey is one of the most famous texts ever written in any language – originating as an Ancient Greek epic poem dating to the 8th century BC and attributed to Homer.

Divided into 24 books, tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, as he journeys home after the Trojan War.

The journey itself lasts an additional 10 years, as Odysseus has to contend with plenty of perilous hurdles, while his wife Penelope and son Telemachus also have to contend with their own fair share of problems as suitors contend for Penelope's hand in marriage while Odysseus is presumed dead.

It's safe to say that a lot happens in the story, so Nolan certainly won't have a shortage of material to work with, but it remains to be seen exactly how much of the poem the film will cover – and whether it will be set in Ancient Greece or perhaps adapted to a different place and time period.

One thing that's for sure is that he'll be able to draw on a huge variety of previous films based on the poem – which was first adapted as a silent film by Italian director Giuseppe de Liguoro in 1911 and most recently served as the inspiration for the 2024 film The Return, which stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche and was based on just the second half of the text.

So far, none of the adaptations have quite endured as beloved classics – we can't wait to see how this version measures up...

Is there a trailer for The Odyssey?

Given the film is not scheduled to begin production until some time during the Spring of 2025, we're still some way off seeing a trailer for the film.

But we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for any and all updates, and hopefully we might at the very least have some first look images to share at some point in 2025.

The Odyssey will be released in cinemas on 17th July 2026.

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