The Odyssey Trailer: First Look At Christopher Nolan's Most Epic Story Yet

Many years ago, filmmaker Christopher Nolan lost the chance to adapt Homer's "The Iliad" as "Troy." While he got the chance to tell another great heroic chronicle (that of Batman), he's now headed back to ancient Greece for next year's "The Odyssey." After a cryptic teaser screened before "Jurassic World: Rebirth" back in July, Nolan's "The Odyssey" has now released its first full trailer.

Like Nolan's last movie, "Oppenheimer," "The Odyssey" boasts an enormous cast of recognizable actors. Leading the pack is Matt Damon (who worked with Nolan on "Interstellar" and "Oppenheimer") as Odysseus, the ancient Greek king who, after the Trojan War, is delayed returning home to Ithaca and his beloved Penelope (Anne Hathaway). Tom Holland also stars as Odysseus and Penelope's son, Telemachus.

"The Odyssey" is set to release in theaters on July 17, 2026.

Odysseus was famously the smartest and craftiest of the ancient Greek heroes. Damon, known for playing quick-witted action heroes like Jason Bourne, should fit the part like a glove. The big question hanging over "The Odyssey" is how far Nolan, a filmmaker obsessed with realism, practical effects, and physical film stock, will push the fantastical. However, the cast does include mythological characters, like Zendaya as Athena (Greek goddess of wisdom) and Charlize Theron as the witch Circe.

Why did Nolan, second only to James Cameron as Hollywood's premier blank check filmmaker, choose to make "The Odyssey" now? He thought a classical epic film of this type hadn't been made with modern filmmaking technology, and he wanted to mount that experiment himself. He compared "The Odyssey" to the works of Ray Harryhausen, the special effects wizard who filled adventure films like 1981's "Clash of the Titans" with stop-motion monsters.

If any director can make an exciting new take on "The Odyssey," one of the oldest stories we have, it's Christopher Nolan.