The British director, fresh from the extraordinary success of his Oppenheimer, reveals his next film project. It will be an adaptation of Homer's famous epic poem which narrates Ulysses' long and adventurous journey to return home after the devastating Trojan War. The release is scheduled for July 17, 2026 and will be created using advanced IMAX technology, guaranteeing an unprecedented viewing experience
Christopher Nolan's next film will be a film adaptation of The Odyssey.
The British director of the award-winning (and blockbuster) film Oppenheimer reveals his next film project. It will be an adaptation of Homer's famous epic poem which narrates the long and adventurous journey of Ulysses to return home to his Ithaca after the devastating Trojan War.
Nolan is therefore preparing to bring a new and ambitious undertaking to the big screen.
Universal Pictures has officially announced that the filmmaker will direct a film adaptation of The Odyssey. The film, highly anticipated by fans and cinema enthusiasts, is scheduled for release on July 17, 2026 and will be made using advanced IMAX technology, guaranteeing an unprecedented visual experience.
“Christopher Nolan's next film, The Odysseyis a mythological action epic shot across the globe using new IMAX motion picture technology,” the studio said. “The film brings Homer's seminal saga to IMAX screens for the first time and will be released in theaters in around the world on July 17, 2026.”
A stellar cast for a timeless story
The film will feature an exceptional cast, which includes some of Hollywood's biggest stars: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron are just some of the names of stars who will take takes part in the epic project, this time epic both inside and outside of metaphor.
These actors, already known for their extraordinary performances, will bring to life the legendary characters of the Homeric tale.
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Christopher Nolan and the challenge of a new genre
The English director Christopher Nolan, famous for his ability to reinvent genres and bring a touch of realism even to the most complex stories, tries his hand at completely new material in his filmography.
Although he has already explored bygone eras with films like Oppenheimer—focused on the creation of the atomic bomb and winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture—and The Prestigeset in late nineteenth-century London, The Odyssey represents a clear change of direction.
The poem, written in the 8th century BC, intertwines stories of gods, monsters and mythological adventures, a territory never explored before by the director.
However, Nolan is no stranger to big challenges. He has demonstrated his ability to make highly imaginative scenarios believable, as happened with his trilogy Batmanwhere he reimagined the iconic superhero in a realistic, post-9/11 context, or with Inception and Interstellar, where he tackled the concept of shared dreams and the mysteries of interstellar travel, respectively.
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Charlize Theron in the cast of Christopher Nolan's next film
Nolan's connection to mythology
The story of Odysseus has been adapted on several occasions over the years. Among the most famous projects, we remember the film Ulysses from 1954, with Kirk Douglas in the lead role, and the most recent Brother, where are you?by the Coen brothers, who in 2000 reinterpreted the Homeric narrative in a modern key.
The context of the Trojan War also inspired cinema, as in the case of Troy of 2004, with Brad Pitt as Achilles and Sean Bean as Ulysses. Curiously, Christopher Nolan himself was said to be in the running to direct Troy before accepting the assignment for Batman Begins…
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Robert Pattinson joins the stellar cast of Nolan's new film
A triumphal year for Nolan
2024 has proven to be a particularly significant year for Christopher Nolan. After a long and successful career, the director finally received his first Oscar for Oppenheimerwinning in the categories of best film and best director. As if that wasn't enough, he was awarded another prestigious award: being knighted by King Charles during an official ceremony held recently.
Con The OdysseyNolan seems ready to push the limits of cinema once again, offering a new interpretation of one of the most iconic stories in world literature. Fans will have to wait until 2026 to see how the visionary director translates this timeless epic to the big screen.
We start looking at the clock because we can't wait, obviously.
