Entertainment

Matt Damon will be playing Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s movie adaptation of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey.”

By Kevin Slane

February 18, 2025 | 3:00 PM

2 minutes to read

It’s official: Matt Damon will be playing arguably the most consequential hero in literary history in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie adaptation of “The Odyssey.”

Following months of rumors, Universal officially released the first image of Damon playing Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s epic poem.

Fresh off his Best Picture win for “Oppenheimer,” Nolan is setting his sights even higher by adapting “The Odyssey.”

First published more than 2,600 years ago, Homer’s work influenced centuries of authors and is among the oldest pieces of written language still widely read today. Scholars consider it to be the single most important piece of literature ever created, and dubbed it “the greatest tale ever told” in a 2018 BBC poll.

“The Odyssey” cast list (so far)

Damon will play Odysseus, a wise but worn-down king who is returning home to Ithaca after 10 years of leading soldiers in the Trojan War. Over the course of 24 books, Odysseus endures the whims of Greek gods, (mostly) avoids the perils posed by mythical creatures, and returns home to rid his palace of freeloaders and schemers wooing his wife, Penelope.

Nolan’s confirmed cast for “The Odyssey” is commensurate with the scale of Homer’s epic tale, and will surely grow in the coming months.

So far, the cast for “The Odyssey” includes Damon, Tom Holland (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”), Zendaya (“Challengers”), Robert Pattinson (“The Batman”), Lupita Nyong’o (“Black Panther”), Anne Hathaway (“The Devil Wears Prada”), Charlize Theron (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), Benny Safdie (“Oppenheimer”), Jon Bernthal (“The Walking Dead”), Elliot Page (“Juno”), Himesh Patel (“Yesterday”), Bill Irwin (“Legion”), Samantha Morton (“Minority Report”) and Mia Goth (“Pearl”).

Other than Damon as Odysseus, no other actors’ roles have been confirmed. Prominent characters in “The Odyssey” include Queen Penelope, Prince Telemachus, nymph Calypso, witch Circe, and Greek gods Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena.

‘The Odyssey’ release date

According to Universal, production on “The Odyssey” is set to begin by the end of February.

As has been Nolan’s hallmark in his films starting with “The Dark Knight,” the director will utilize IMAX cameras while filming “The Odyssey,” and will make use of “brand new IMAX film technology” yet to be revealed.

Assuming everything runs smoothly, “The Odyssey” will be released in theaters on July 17, 2026.

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