Christopher Nolan's Epic Next Film Revealed

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan is taking on a truly epic project next: The Oscar-winning Oppenheimer director's new film for Universal will be The Odyssey, an adaptation of the ancient epic poem by Homer that tells the story of legendary Greek hero Odysseus returning home after the Trojan War. The studio, BCE, describes the movie as "a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology." It premieres July 17, 2026, Deadline reports. Cast members had previously been announced to include Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Charlize Theron.

Per the Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, the story has inspired such works as O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Cold Mountain, Star Trek: Odyssey, and Ulysses by James Joyce, and it was adapted in 1954 in the Kirk Douglas-starring Ulysses as well as in a 1997 miniseries. But this take by Nolan, also known for films including Inception, Interstellar, and Batman Begins, will be "the most notable adaptation" of Homer's work so far, per Deadline. Nolan will write, direct, and produce, Variety reports. Amusingly, Holland recently admitted he signed on to the project without really knowing what it was about. (More Christopher Nolan stories.)