matt damon in the odyssey
The first official look at Matt Damon in The Odyssey. Photography: courtesy of Universal Studios

ANTICIPATION FOR Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey, reached fever pitch this week when a teaser was leaked on X. “Darkness. Zeus’ law smashed to pieces,” a narrator says in the minute-long video, as a camera pans over a dark ocean. “I’m without a king since my master died. He knew it was an unwinnable war. And then, somehow, he won it.”

The “king” and “war” the narrator is referring to is Odysseus, king of Ithaca (played by Matt Damon), and the Trojan War he won, which happened in the 12th-13th century BCE. The Odyssey poems are credited as being written between 725-675 BCE by the ancient Greek poet Homer, which follows Odysseus as he wanders for a decade trying to get home after the Trojan War.

The film, slated for release in July 2026, is billed as a “mythic action epic” by Universal Studios. It will be an epic in every sense of the word; early posters for the film emphasise that the British director is only filming with IMAX cameras. This can only mean the scope and scale of the ancient text’s screen adaption is unprecedented.

With the project still in production in Greece, Morocco and Italy, the trailer is also totally unexpected. Its early release is a departure from Nolan’s publicity strategy for previous projects – including his most recent, the Oscar-winning 2023 film, Oppenheimer – whose trailers have debuted in cinemas before circulating online.

Below, Esquire breaks down the telling on-set images and the stacked cast set to bring the epic to life.

Who is in the cast of The Odyssey?

  • Matt Damon as Odysseus
  • Tom Holland as Telemachus, Odysseus’ son
  • Zendaya
  • Robert Pattinson
  • Charlize Theron
  • Anne Hathaway
  • Lupita Nyong’o
  • Jon Bernthal
  • Cosmo Jarvis
  • Mia Goth
  • Elliot Page
  • John Leguizamo
  • Samantha Morton
  • Ryan Hurst

While Matt Damon and Tom Holland’s roles have been confirmed as the father and son leads, the rest of the cast’s characters have yet to be announced.

Where is The Odyssey filming?

True to the source material, photos from the set reveal that the Nolan flick began shooting in Greece, Morocco and Italy from February 2025.

Besides the minute-long leaked teaser, which was unusually complete in appearance, the crew is still shooting on location, and production has not yet wrapped.

When is The Odyssey coming out?

Revealed in a new poster by Universal Studios, the film is slated for release on July 17, 2026 – the height of blockbuster season. Christopher Nolan is coming for that third Oscar, we’re sure.

the odyssey poster

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