Despite still being filmed, the studio behind Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is already declaring it a "masterpiece" that Homer "would quite likely be proud of"

Matt Damon in The Odyssey
(Image credit: Universal)

Christopher Nolan's upcoming movie The Odyssey is already receiving high praise from Universal. The studio behind the director's upcoming adaptation of Homer's epic poem have been calling it everything from a "masterpiece" to "visionary", despite shooting still being ongoing.

The tease came from Jim Orr, the studio’s distribution chief, who appeared at CinemaCon to hype up the film. Per Variety, he told the crowd that it will be "a visionary, once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would quite likely be proud of."

Orr went on to reference Nolan’s "staggering all-star cast," which will be led by frequent Nolan collaborator Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca. Also featured are Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron.

No footage was released of the movie, which is still filming, at CinemaCon but we have seen an early first look at Damon in costume. However, even that has caused some controversy among classicists over the accuracy of his armour.

Universal did use their CinemaCon slot to share some footage of their next big release, Jurassic World Rebirth. In a new trailer shown to audiences, a mutant T-rex that can breathe fire featured, as well as one moment cut from the original movie.

The Odyssey releases on July 17, 2026. For more upcoming movies, check out our list of 2025 movie release dates.

Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

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