The Odyssey (2026)
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A Greek king faces a perilous journey home after the Trojan War, encountering mythical beings and navigating the consequences of war.
The story
For twenty years, Ithaca has remained kingless as Odysseus has not returned from the Trojan War. While his wife Penelope and son Telemachus remain loyal, several suitors aggressively court Penelope to claim the throne. Telemachus travels to find news of his father's whereabouts, while the goddess Athena appears to Odysseus on the island of Ogygia, where he is held by the nymph Calypso. To reach home, Odysseus must navigate a world of mythical dangers, including the cyclops Polyphemus and the treacherous sea, while facing the physical and psychological toll of his long absence from his kingdom.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the Trojan War, Odysseus is stranded on Ogygia by the nymph Calypso. Athena intervenes, and Odysseus eventually escapes, only to be shipwrecked and forced to navigate a gauntlet of mythological perils: the Cyclops Polyphemus, the witch Circe, and the realms of the dead. In the underworld, he meets the shades of fallen comrades and the prophet Tiresias, who warns him of the dangers ahead. After surviving the Sirens and the monsters Charybdis and Scylla, he is shipwrecked and eventually reaches Ithaca in disguise. He finds his home overrun by suitors who seek to claim his wife, Penelope, and his throne. After a series of confrontations and a trial of strength involving his bow, Odysseus reveals his identity and defeats the suitors. He eventually reconciles with Penelope, and the two prepare to leave for a period of peace in exile, reflecting on the costs of the war and the passage of time.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 173
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Christopher Nolan
- Writers
- Christopher Nolan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Matt Damon · Odysseus; Tom Holland · Telemachus; Anne Hathaway · Penelope; Robert Pattinson · Antinous; Lupita Nyong'o · Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra; Samantha Morton · Circe; Zendaya · Athena; Charlize Theron · Calypso
- Genres
- action; fantasy
- Themes
- Memory, time, and autonomy; moral consequences of war; erosion of social norms; war guilt
- Tone and mood
- mythic; gritty; fearsome
- Premise and plot tags
- mythology; epic; action; fantasy
- Source material / true-story basis
- Homer's Odyssey
- Content notes
- R-rated
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim for its direction, performances, and scale, though some critics noted issues with sound mixing and deviations from the source material.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 94% · scale: percentage · review count: 514
- Production trivia
- First feature film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film cameras; Highest-grossing R-rated film ever; Included a cameo by rapper Travis Scott as a bard
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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