Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey is set to begin production in March 2025. According to Variety, the mythic action epic will film across multiple countries, with a significant portion taking place on Favignana, an island off Sicily’s northwest coast. Known locally as “goat island,” the location holds particular historical significance as scholars believe it to be where Homer envisioned Odysseus and his crew landing to replenish their supplies during their legendary journey. The production will utilize brand-new IMAX technology to bring Homer’s foundational saga to the big screen, with Universal Pictures backing the project following Oppenheimer‘s remarkable $976.8 million global box office success and Best Picture win.
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Italy’s Wildside, a Fremantle company, will oversee the Sicilian portion of filming, with Erik Paoletti serving as line producer. While Favignana serves as the primary Mediterranean location, additional scenes will be captured throughout Sicily’s Eolian islands. The production scope matches Nolan’s previous high-water mark for budget, reaching the same $250 million figure as The Dark Knight Rises.
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Beyond Sicily, the production will span both the United Kingdom and Morocco, providing diverse landscapes for the epic’s varied settings. The scale of this international shoot demonstrates Universal’s commitment to Nolan’s vision of bringing Homer’s legendary tale to modern audiences through groundbreaking cinematography. The story follows Odysseus’s decade-long journey home after the Trojan War and features encounters with gods, monsters, and the dire consequences of divine wrath. It’s still unknown how much Nolan’s movie will embrace the mythology of the original work or if the director will try to keep the narrative grounded like in his previous films.
The Odyssey Represents a New Direction for Christopher Nolan
The Odyssey adaptation signals a creative shift for Nolan, who expressed interest in moving away from the bleak themes of Oppenheimer. Homer’s timeless tale of heroism, perseverance, and homecoming provides the perfect vehicle for this transition while maintaining the director’s signature approach to large-scale filmmaking. In addition, the mythology-rich narrative offers opportunities to blend classical storytelling with contemporary technical innovation.
This new chapter in Nolan’s career brings together an impressive mix of frequent collaborators and fresh faces. Matt Damon builds on the momentum of Oppenheimer with another role in the director’s universe, while Anne Hathaway returns following her performances in The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar. Robert Pattinson, who anchored Tenet, rounds out the group of Nolan veterans in the ensemble.
The newcomers to Nolan’s creative world bring their own impressive credentials. Tom Holland and Zendaya step away from their Spider-Man roles to tackle the classical epic, while Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o and action star Charlize Theron add their considerable talents to the mix. Jon Bernthal, the most recent addition to the cast, joins fresh off his Emmy-winning turn in The Bear and ahead of his return as The Punisher in Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again. The production has not announced specific roles for any cast members, maintaining Nolan’s characteristic secrecy around plot details.
Universal Pictures has positioned The Odyssey for a July 2026 release, demonstrating confidence in its ability to thrive during the competitive summer season. The film will debut between Disney’s live-action Moana and Sony’s Spider-Man 4, recalling the successful counterprogramming strategy that helped Oppenheimer flourish alongside Barbie in 2023. The Odyssey sails into theaters on July 17, 2026.
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Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.
