The first look at Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey shows Matt Damon ready for battle

Matt Damon in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The first look at Christopher Nolan's next film, The Odyssey, is here.

In the picture, which you can see above, Matt Damon is seen in costume as Odysseus. He's wearing a cape, gauntlets, and an impressive plumed helmet, looking over one shoulder. Basically, he looks ready for battle – or to be lost at sea for years and years, anyway.

This is Nolan's first film since Oppenheimer, which won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture, last year.

The star-studded cast also features Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Will Yun Lee, Himesh Patel, Benny Safdie, and more. At the moment, it's unclear who is playing who, aside from Damon playing the title character. We can also guess that Holland will be playing Odysseus's son, Telemachus, though that's purely a guess for now.

The Odyssey, of course, is Homer's epic poem that follows the events of The Iliad (which depicts the Trojan War). In the story, Odysseus makes his long journey home from Troy across an arduous decade, attempting to reunite with his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. His travels are fraught with peril, though, including encounters with a cyclops, a sea monster, and siren song.

The film will be shot with new IMAX technology and filming will commence on the Island of Favignana, with filming also taking place in Sicily – both are locations from the poem.

The Odyssey arrives on July 17, 2026. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming movies of 2025 to fill out your watchlist, or see our roundup of the best Christopher Nolan movies if you're in the mood for a marathon.

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

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