Christopher Nolan’s Next Film Is an Adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey

The speculation can finally end. Universal took to social media Monday to give film fans everywhere a present: the first official description of Christopher Nolan’s next movie. It’s called The Odyssey which, yes, is an adaptation of Homer’s poem.

“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,” the statement read.

Written by Homer centuries before the birth of Christ, The Odyssey is the follow-up to The Illiad. It follows Odysseus, a Greek hero who travels home after the Trojan War. A sprawling adventure featuring mythical creatures, battles, and more, it’s a story that has been adapted in seemingly every medium in seemingly every era. But, coming from Nolan, you can be sure this will be the biggest, most faithful, and massive adaptation yet. Plus, it’s a far cry from previous rumors about the film, such as it being about helicopter cops or the one reported on by this website which was it was a period film about vampires. Hey, at least it is a period film.

Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o star though there’s no word on who is playing who. But let’s speculate a bit. We’re thinking—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 Poseidon (or the Cyclops), Nyong’o as Circe ,and Zendaya as Calypso. But, again, pure speculation.

And what’s the “brand new IMAX film technology” the studio is touting? Sounds exciting. But not as exciting as Nolan going for the biggest story of his entire career, and maybe his second Oscar.

The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolans, opens July 17, 2026.

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