Everything We Know So Far on Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’
Image Courtesy of the Hindu
By Luis Zonenberg
With Oppenheimer’s critical acclaim and box office success, fans have been eagerly waiting to see what Christopher Nolan will tackle next. Rumors surged throughout last year, teasing what his next film could be, ranging from it being a dystopian helicopter heist to a 1920s-period vampire film. While most of them seemed to point towards it being a horror film, no one could predict what his next film would turn out to be.
Two days shy of Christmas last year, Universal Pictures announced that Nolan’s next film would be an adaptation of the famed Greek tale The Odyssey by Homer. Fans received an early Christmas gift that detailed how Nolan would use new cutting-edge IMAX technology to film this cinematic event. The film is set to chronicle the ten-year saga of Odysseus’ journey home after the Trojan War.
The first casting announcements came with Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, and Lupita Nyong’O confirmed to star in the film. It was reported that Tom Holland was to star as the lead, Odysseus, with other actors such as Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Charlize Therone, and Zendaya also confirmed to be cast. The list kept growing from there, with Will Yun Lee and Jesse Garcia recently confirmed to star in Nolan’s film as well.
The movie is set to begin filming in March this year, shooting on location in the UK, Morocco, and throughout the Aeolian Islands in Sicily, Italy. One of the more notable filming locations was the island of Favignana in Sicily, which Odysseus and his crew visited in the classic fable. Part of the movie is also reported to film in Greece, with the Greek Ministry of Culture authorizing them to film under strict preservation conditions.
With Nolan pushing for more practical over CGI effects, it will be interesting to see how he will depict the monstrous creatures from the classic fable. Recent reports have confirmed the scenes with the famed Cyclops will be filmed at Voidokilia Beach and Nestor Cave. A 6x6m puppet for the Cyclops is currently being constructed in the cave, though some VFX shots might be added to enhance certain features of the famous character.
With an estimated budget of $250 million, this is set to be the most expensive film of Nolan’s career. Only the Dark Knight Rises comes close with its estimated $230 million budget, which came out more than twelve years ago. Not much else is currently known about Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey or how his team will employ the New IMAX technology for the filming process.
The film is currently set for release on July 17, 2026, with a limited engagement in IMAX 70mm theaters. Thanks to films like Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two, 70mm IMAX has been given a resurgence that even has opened the doors for other filmmakers like Ryan Coogler and his upcoming film, Sinners. Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey seems to follow this trend and hopefully allow more films of this caliber to make a grander experience at the movies, especially in IMAX!
