Christopher Nolan unveiled a new trailer for "The Odyssey" on Monday night during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," giving audiences their clearest look yet at his adaptation of Homer's ancient epic. The film opens in theaters on July 17, 2026.
Matt Damon leads the cast as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca making a years-long journey home after the Trojan War. The new footage opens with Charlize Theron as the nymph Calypso questioning Odysseus about his memories. It then shifts to Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Penelope's scheming suitor who is plotting to marry Odysseus's wife and seize the throne of Ithaca. Anne Hathaway plays Penelope. Tom Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus's son. John Leguizamo appears as the servant Eumaeus, and Jon Bernthal plays Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta.
The trailer also features the film's Cyclops — already gripping one of Odysseus's soldiers — and shows carnage from the battle of Troy. What appears to be an encounter with the Laestrygonians, a race of cannibalistic giants from the original poem, is visible in the footage as well. Notably absent from the trailer are Zendaya, who plays the goddess Athena, and Lupita Nyong'o, whose role has not been disclosed.
The film was shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, including a newer, quieter version of the standard rig that reportedly reduces the need for looping in post-production. Production ran from February through August of last year across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Iceland, and Scotland, with additional work done in the water tank on the Universal backlot. Returning Nolan collaborators include cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, editor Jennifer Lame, and composer Ludwig Göransson.
The Wrap reported the budget at $250 million, making it the most expensive film of Nolan's career. His previous film, "Oppenheimer," grossed over $950 million worldwide and won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. Though Nolan told the Associated Press that "The Odyssey" runs shorter than "Oppenheimer's" three-hour runtime, he acknowledged there is "a massive amount of pressure" in adapting a story this well-known. "Anyone taking on 'The Odyssey' is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere," he said.
On "The Late Show," Nolan drew a direct line between Homer's epics and modern comic book franchises, noting that many of the cast members — Holland, Hathaway, and Pattinson among them — have all appeared in superhero films. "Even comic book culture, whether you're talking about Marvel or D.C. or all the rest, a lot of it comes directly from the Homeric Epics," Nolan said. He called Homer "the Marvel of its day" and compared the ancient poet's cultural role to that of George Lucas.
He also praised Holland, with whom he worked for the first time on this film. "He's amazing," Nolan said. "I've not worked with him before, but I would love to work with him again. He's just an incredible talent." On Hathaway, who previously appeared in "Interstellar" and "The Dark Knight Rises," Nolan said he had watched her new film "The Devil Wears Prada 2" the night before the interview: "It was fabulous."
IMAX 70mm tickets went on sale a full year in advance and sold out in under an hour, according to Screen Rant. "The Odyssey" arrives in a crowded summer: Marvel's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" — which also stars Holland and Zendaya — opens just two weeks later on July 31.