Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey lands in theaters July 17, and here is what to know before the release.
The film opens July 17 in the United States and the United Kingdom. Early showings begin Thursday, July 16, with some screenings starting in the afternoon. The world premiere takes place in London on July 6.
The Odyssey adapts Homer’s ancient Greek poem. It follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, on his long journey home after the Trojan War. Along the way he encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, the witch goddess Circe, and the nymph Calypso. His wife Penelope waits at home, holding off a house full of suitors after his throne. The poem is nearly 3,000 years old and is traditionally attributed to the poet Homer.
Nolan filmed the entire movie using IMAX 70mm cameras. According to Universal, it is the first time a film was shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. For the first three weeks of release, the film has exclusive access to IMAX screens. Nolan told the press the movie needed to be the biggest film he has made.
The Odyssey Cast Brings Together a Large Ensemble
The lineup is a long one. Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, his fourth film with Nolan. Nolan described the character as a clever strategist and an inventive thinker.
Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, Odysseus’s wife. She previously worked with Nolan on The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar. Tom Holland, known for playing Spider-Man, plays Telemachus, the couple’s son, who defends the family kingdom while his father is away. Zendaya plays the goddess Athena. Robert Pattinson plays one of the suitors pursuing Penelope.
The supporting cast includes Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Elliot Page, John Leguizamo, Benny Safdie, and Samantha Morton. Theron plays Circe, the goddess of sorcery. It is one of the larger ensembles Nolan has assembled.
Behind the camera, Nolan reunited with familiar collaborators. Composer Ludwig Göransson, who scored Oppenheimer, returns for the music. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who has shot every Nolan film since Interstellar, is back as well. Emma Thomas, Nolan’s producing partner, produced the film through their company, Syncopy.
The Odyssey Release Date: What We Know So Far
Nolan is known for films with layered, non-linear storytelling. Memento, Inception, The Prestige, and Interstellar all drew followings over the years. His last film, Oppenheimer, won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director.
For The Odyssey, the production leaned on practical effects and real locations rather than digital sets. Filming took place across Greece, Sicily, Morocco, Scotland, Iceland, and the United States. Much of the early work happened in Messinia, a region in western Greece.
The runtime will be shorter than Oppenheimer, which ran just over three hours. Nolan confirmed this in an interview with the Associated Press. It remains unclear whether the film follows the poem’s original non-linear structure.
Early tracking placed the opening weekend somewhere between 80 and 100 million dollars. Industry watchers reported the film running slightly ahead of Oppenheimer at the same stage. It was also ranked the most anticipated film for the second half of 2026, with Avengers: Doomsday as the runner-up.
The story is familiar to many. A soldier tries to get home after war. His family waits, unsure whether he is alive. Gods interfere and monsters block the path. It works as a survival story, a family drama, and an adventure at the same time.
Tickets are on sale through the official movie site. IMAX 70mm screenings tend to sell quickly for a Nolan release, so early booking is worth considering. The film is one of several major summer releases, arriving in a crowded season that also includes Spider-Man: Brand New Day later in the month.
