Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Trailer Unleashes Cyclops, Calypso, and a $250 Million Epic

Key facts

• Trailer released for Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus.
• at $250 million (£185m), Nolan’s largest to date.
• Shot entirely on large-format IMAX cameras; Nolan exposed over 2 million feet of film.
• Release dates: July 16 in Australia, July 17 in the UK and US.
• Cast includes Tom Holland (Telemachus), Anne Hathaway (Penelope), Robert Pattinson (Antinous), Charlize Theron (Calypso), and more.
• Nolan compared Homer to ‘the Marvel of its day’ in a Late Show interview.
• Nolan confirmed runtime is shorter than ‘Oppenheimer’ (3 hours), calling it ‘an epic film’.

Odysseus Returns: First Full Trailer for Nolan’s Homeric Epic

Christopher Nolan has released the first full-length trailer for ‘The Odyssey’, his adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic. The footage offers the first extended look at Matt Damon as Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, who embarks on a decade-long voyage home after the Trojan War. The trailer intercuts perilous sea voyages, mythical monsters, and domestic scenes of a kingdom in disarray. The film, which Nolan has described as ‘an epic film’, is scheduled for release on July 16 in Australia and July 17 in the UK and US. It marks Nolan’s first project since ‘Oppenheimer’, which won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director in 2024.

A Cast of Mythic Proportions: Damon, Holland, Hathaway and More

Matt Damon leads the ensemble as Odysseus, the hero whose 20-year absence has left his home in chaos. Tom Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, who insists ‘My dad is coming home’ despite the suitors’ disbelief. Anne Hathaway portrays Penelope, the queen of Ithaca, who declares ‘Ithaca’s king is coming back’ while fending off a crowd of suitors. Robert Pattinson takes on the role of Antinous, the cruel and arrogant lead suitor. Charlize Theron appears as the nymph Calypso, who detains Odysseus on her island. Other cast members include John Leguizamo as the servant Eumaeus, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus (King of Sparta), and Benny Safdie as Agamemnon. The trailer also offers a first look at the man-eating Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon.

Nolan’s Biggest Budget and Ambitious IMAX Shoot

budget of $250 million (£185 million), ‘The Odyssey’ is Nolan’s most expensive film to date. The director shot the entire film on large-format IMAX cameras, a technique he has refined since ‘The Dark Knight’. In November, Nolan revealed he had exposed more than 2 million feet of film for the project. The trailer showcases battle scenes, treacherous sea voyages, and flashbacks to the Trojan War, events originally chronicled in Homer’s ‘Iliad’. Nolan told the Associated Press that while the film is epic in scale, its runtime is shorter than ‘Oppenheimer’s three hours, though he did not specify the exact length.

Homer as ‘Marvel of Its Day’: Nolan on Myth and Modern Blockbusters

During an appearance on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’, Nolan drew parallels between Homer’s epics and contemporary comic-book franchises. ‘The thing about Homer is, nobody knows if that was a person. Homer, in a way, is the sort of George Lucas of his time,’ Nolan said. He added, ‘The thing about Homer, it is the Marvel of its day. It’s very directly this desire for us to feel or believe gods could walk amongst us, and I think the modern comic book is kind of our expression of that.’ Colbert noted that Holland, Hathaway, and Pattinson have all starred in major superhero films. Nolan praised Holland’s performance, saying he would ‘love to work with him again’. He also revealed he had watched Hathaway’s latest film, ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, calling it ‘fabulous’.

Pressure and Responsibility: Adapting a Beloved Story

Nolan acknowledged the weight of adapting such a foundational text. ‘Anyone taking on “The Odyssey” is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere and that comes with a huge responsibility,’ he told the Associated Press. He said he ‘really tried to make the best film possible’ and drew on lessons from ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy: ‘What people want from a movie about a beloved story, a beloved set of characters, is they want a strong and sincere interpretation.’ The trailer’s release follows a leaked cinema-only trailer in July that generated early buzz. The film is now one of the most anticipated blockbusters of summer 2026, with a cast that also includes Zendaya, Mia Goth, Lupita Nyong’o, and Elliot Page.

What Lies Ahead for Odysseus and Nolan

As the trailer circulates online, audiences are dissecting its many moments: Odysseus pleading ‘Help me go home’, Penelope’s defiant declaration, and the Cyclops’s menacing appearance. The film’s success could cement Nolan’s reputation as a director who can blend intimate character drama with spectacle on a grand scale. With a budget that dwarfs even ‘Oppenheimer’, ‘The Odyssey’ represents a significant financial bet for Universal Studios. Nolan’s track record — from ‘Inception’ to ‘Dunkirk’ — suggests the film will draw massive audiences, but adapting a 3,000-year-old poem carries unique risks. The director’s insistence on a ‘strong and sincere interpretation’ may be the key to satisfying both classicists and summer moviegoers.

The bottom line

• Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ releases July 16–17, 2026, with a $250 million budget and all-IMAX production.
• Matt Damon leads as Odysseus; Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson play key roles.
• The trailer introduces the Cyclops, Calypso, and the suitors, setting up a journey of 20 years.
• Nolan compared Homer’s epics to modern comic-book franchises, calling Homer ‘the Marvel of its day’.
• The director faces pressure to deliver a sincere adaptation, drawing on lessons from ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy.
• The film’s runtime is shorter than ‘Oppenheimer’s three hours, though exact length remains undisclosed.