The Oscar-winning director behind the likes of Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight, and Inception, Christopher Nolan, will take a major turn towards the fantastical in his highly anticipated adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic The Odyssey. Renowned for his dedication to more grounded stories and a reliance on practical effects, we have been left wondering how exactly Nolan will approach the supernatural mythology inherent in the source material. Now, Nolan has revealed all, and it could leave fantasy fans feeling worried…
Speaking to Empire, Nolan revealed that his approach to the “mythological elements” will continue his desire to keep things as grounded as possible, with the acclaimed filmmaker explaining how he will depict things like the gods in a “sort of real-world way.” It’s certain to add to the growing controversies already surrounding the movie…
“One of the things I needed to crack was how to approach mythological elements in a sort of real-world way. The big breakthrough creatively in thinking about the gods was that everything that is now explained by science was once supernatural. Lightning, thunder, earthquakes, volcanoes… people are literally seeing gods everywhere; not even the evidence of gods, they’re seeing the actions of gods. I don’t want to say too much about it beyond indicating that yes, the evidence of the supernatural is all around these people. It’s very much part of their lives. And I think it’s quite a lot of fun to tap into that.”
Is Making ‘The Odyssey’ in a “Real-World Way” the Right Thing to Do?
While questioning Christopher Nolan, who has made billions of dollars at the box office alongside widespread critical acclaim, would perhaps be unwise, we can’t help but wonder if making The Odyssey in a “real-world way” is really the right way to go. No doubt fans of Homer’s seminal epic were looking forward to seeing Nolan embrace the mythology, and while these elements will still play a part, it may not be as unashamedly fantastical as many are hoping for. However, the idea of the supernatural-becoming-science is similar to how Thor and magic were introduced in the MCU, so maybe Nolan will lean into the mythology more than this explanation suggests. For the record, in Nolan we trust, but there is sure to be an air of disappointment among those anticipating a fantasy epic filled with myths and magic.
“Odysseus, king of Ithaca, embarks on a perilous journey to return home after the Trojan War,” reads the official synopsis. Led by Matt Damon as Odysseus, The Odyssey will feature an all-star cast that includes Tom Holland (Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man: Brand New Day), Anne Hathaway (Interstellar, The Dark Knight Rises), Charlize Theron (Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road), Benny Safdie (Good Time, Oppenheimer), Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther, A Quiet Place: Day One), Robert Pattinson (The Batman, Mickey 17), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Elliot Page (Inception), Mia Goth (Pearl, Frankenstein), Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton), Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun), Himesh Patel (Tenet), Samantha Morton (Minority Report), John Leguizamo (Encanto), Will Yun Lee (The Wolverine), Logan Marshall-Green (Upgrade), James Remar (Oppenheimer), and, because Nolan wants audiences to see stars, more.
The Odyssey is scheduled to land in theaters on July 17, 2026, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
- Release Date
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July 17, 2026
- Producers
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Emma Thomas