Matt Damon is stepping into the role of Odysseus for Christopher Nolan’s next epic. The first official image from the Odyssey falls to show Damon, dressed in ancient Greek armor as the legendary king of Ithaca.
The release confirmed Damon’s casting in the lead role, as simply stated by the film’s official X account. “Matt Damon is Odysseus. The film #Theodysseymovie by Christopher Nolan will be in theaters on July 17th, 2026.”
Universal Photography
Nolan takes on one of the oldest adventure stories
The filmmaker’s next film had been circulating for months, probably before Nolan received confirmation that Odyssey would be realized in December. The epic poem, attributed to an ancient Greek poet named Homer, dates back to the 8th or 7th centuries BC, is one of the most influential stories in Western literature.
The story follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who struggles to return home after the Trojan War. Odysseus’ trekking should have been easy for ten years. Along the way, he fights the god of vengefulness and drives out mythical beings, including cyclopspoliphemus and deadly sirens. Meanwhile, returning to his wife’s wife, Penelope, he will keep the house intact as the suitor grows bolder and is sure that his husband will never come back.
An impressive cast
Nolan (deep breathing) Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyongo, Benny Safdy, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin, Lupita Nayongo, John LEGOIZAMO, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, John Bernsal, Mia Goss and Will Yun Lee. Some of Pattinson, Hathaway, Page, and Safdy had previously continued their trend to revive past collaborators.
For now, Damon, who played General Les League Robes in Nolan’s Oppenheimer, is the only cast member with a confirmed role.
Production and Release Plans
Nolan was a huge hit with J. Robert Oppenheimer’s drama Oppenheimer, which exceeded US$975 million worldwide. The film also dominated last year’s awards season, winning seven Oscars as Best Picture and Nolan’s first director. As expected, he is once again leaning towards large-scale filmmaking, with Universal describing the Odyssey as “mythical action epic shots all over the world using brand new IMAX film technology.”
Filming is scheduled to begin this spring, with Sicily confirmed as one of the shooting locations. This is a good choice given the historical connection to Odysseus’s legendary journey.
We’re trying to hold back expectations, but Nolan is working on Odyssey in one of the cast’s hell! The Odyssey is scheduled to open on July 17, 2026 at Australian cinemas and US cinemas.
