First Look at Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Unveils a Sweeping Mythological Epic

May 6

Universal Pictures has released a new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, offering the clearest look yet at the filmmaker’s large-scale adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic.

The new footage, released May 5, places Matt Damon’s Odysseus at the center of a dangerous journey home while expanding the film’s mythological scope with glimpses of the Cyclops, Charybdis, Circe and the political unrest waiting in Ithaca.

The trailer frames Odysseus as a king fighting his way back after the Trojan War, while his absence continues to unsettle the world he left behind. Tom Holland appears as Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, who is searching for his father, while Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, Odysseus’ wife. Robert Pattinson is shown as Antinous, one of Penelope’s suitors.

The preview also reveals Charlize Theron as Circe, a key mythological figure who appears to challenge Odysseus’ belief that he can control the path ahead. So, in other words, there’s a lot to look forward to here for cinephiles.

Plot, Cast and Scale

Based on Homer’s Odyssey, Nolan’s film follows Odysseus as he attempts to return to Ithaca after the Trojan War. The story has been described through its official synopsis as “a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology.”

The ensemble cast includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo and Jon Bernthal.

Nolan has also said the film is structured in a nonlinear way and begins in Ithaca, 10 years after the Trojan War, with Odysseus’ kingdom no longer stable in his absence.

The movie marks Nolan’s follow-up to Oppenheimer and continues his commitment to large-format filmmaking. The film’s official site also notes that The Odyssey was shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, while Nolan has said the film will run under three hours, making it shorter than Oppenheimer.

The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17, 2026.