Christopher Nolan’s next film was revealed as a Greek epic adaptation – and it already has a release date

On By Littum

Christopher Nolan’s next film project will be an adaptation of the ancient Greek poem The Odyssey.

One of the most significant works of early literature, it is attributed to the poet Homer and is believed to have been written in the eighth century BC. It is a mythical tale that follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he travels home after the Trojan War.

It was previously confirmed that the film will feature an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reportersaid Universal Studios: “Christopher Nolan’s next film The Odyssey is a mythical action epic shot around the world using brand new IMAX film technology.

“The film brings Homer’s seminal saga to IMAX movie screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.”

It’s not the first time The Odyssey has been adapted to the screen. Kirk Douglas played Ulysses (the Latin name for Odysseus) in Mario Camerini’s 1954 film Ulysses. The short silent film from 1905 The mysterious island by Georges Méliès is based on scenes from The Odyssey.

Christopher Nolan and Matt Damon promote 'Oppenheimer'
Christopher Nolan and Matt Damon promote ‘Oppenheimer’ (Noam Galai/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)

The epic poem has also inspired several films that transposed the heroic tale to different times and settings, e.g. Cold Mountain, O Brother, where art thou? and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

Earlier this year, Nolan’s longtime producer and wife Emma Thomas teased the upcoming feature in an interview with Empire.

“I would say it’s very exciting,” she said. “This is the moment where the possibilities are limitless, we haven’t started thinking practical or anything.

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“Oppenheimer was so absurdly successful and we feel like we have an opportunity.”

Nolan’s film from 2023 Oppenheimer was based on the life of atomic bomb inventor J Robert Oppenheimer and won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.

The film was also the director’s third highest grosser to date (behind The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), thanks in part to a social media phenomenon that incoherently pairs the film with the colorful puppet comedy Barbie.

In a four star review of Oppenheimer, The independent film critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote:“Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan’s best and most revealing work. It is a deeply unnerving story told with a traditionalist eye for craftsmanship and muscular, cinematic imagination. Here, Nolan treats one of the most contested legacies of the 20th century – that of J Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy), the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ – as a mathematical puzzle to be solved.”