Only In Theaters July 17, 2026
The Odyssey is an epic fantasy adventure directed by Christopher Nolan and based on the ancient Greek poem by Homer. The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the legendary King of Ithaca, with Anne Hathaway as Penelope and Tom Holland as Telemachus. It is being released in theaters on July 17, 2026, and is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX 70 mm cameras.
The Story
The film begins immediately after the end of the legendary Trojan War. Although the Greeks have won the war, Odysseus longs only to return home to Ithaca, where his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus have waited for him for years.
Instead of a quick voyage home, Odysseus' journey becomes a decade-long struggle against both nature and the gods. After angering the sea god Poseidon by blinding his son, the monstrous Cyclops Polyphemus, Odysseus earns the wrath of the god, who vows that he will never reach home easily.
The Lotus-Eaters
Early in the voyage, Odysseus and his exhausted crew land on an island inhabited by the mysterious Lotus-Eaters. The people appear peaceful and offer the sailors strange fruit.
Those who eat the lotus immediately lose all desire to return home. They become trapped in a dreamlike state, forgetting their families and even their own identities. Odysseus refuses the fruit and forces his men back aboard the ship before they become permanently lost.
This sequence introduces one of the film's major themes: the temptation to surrender instead of continuing life's difficult journey.
The Cyclops
One of the movie's largest action sequences involves the giant Cyclops Polyphemus.
Odysseus and his men become trapped inside the creature's cave as Polyphemus devours several members of the crew. Unable to overpower the giant, Odysseus devises a clever plan.
He tells the Cyclops that his name is "Nobody," intoxicates him with wine, then blinds him using a sharpened wooden stake. When the Cyclops cries for help, the other giants hear him shouting that "Nobody" is attacking him and leave him alone.
Odysseus and his surviving crew escape by hiding beneath sheep as they leave the cave.
Although the plan succeeds, Odysseus cannot resist boasting as he sails away, revealing his true identity. This single moment of pride causes Poseidon to swear revenge and becomes the turning point of the entire journey.
The Sorceress Circe
The travelers later arrive on the island of the enchantress Circe.
She transforms many of Odysseus' men into animals through magic. With divine assistance and his own determination, Odysseus resists her enchantments.
Rather than defeating Circe in battle, he eventually earns her respect. She restores his crew to human form and offers guidance for the dangerous voyage still ahead.
The Sirens
One of the film's most visually striking sequences involves the Sirens.
These supernatural beings lure sailors toward deadly rocks using impossibly beautiful songs.
Knowing the danger, Odysseus orders his crew to plug their ears with wax while he alone is tied securely to the ship's mast.
As the Sirens sing, he desperately begs his men to release him, but they obey his earlier orders and keep sailing until the voices fade.
The scene represents Odysseus overcoming temptation through preparation and discipline.
Scylla and Charybdis
Odysseus must next guide his ship through an impossibly narrow passage.
On one side waits Scylla, a horrifying six-headed sea monster that snatches sailors from the deck.
On the other side is Charybdis, a gigantic whirlpool capable of swallowing an entire ship.
Knowing that total destruction is unavoidable if he approaches the whirlpool, Odysseus sacrifices several crew members to Scylla in order to save the rest.
It becomes one of the most painful moral choices in the story.
Calypso's Island
Eventually Odysseus washes ashore alone after another devastating storm.
He is rescued by the immortal nymph Calypso, who falls deeply in love with him.
She offers him eternal youth and immortality if he remains with her forever.
For years he lives in paradise, but despite every comfort, he cannot stop thinking about Penelope and Ithaca.
This section emphasizes that true happiness comes from family, purpose, and home rather than endless pleasure.
Meanwhile in Ithaca
While Odysseus struggles across the seas, Penelope faces a crisis of her own.
Most of Greece believes Odysseus has died.
Hundreds of wealthy suitors occupy his palace, consuming his wealth while demanding Penelope marry one of them so that a new king can rule Ithaca.
Penelope cleverly delays her decision for years by claiming she must first finish weaving a burial shroud. Every night she secretly unravels the day's work, keeping hope alive that Odysseus will return.
Their son Telemachus has grown into adulthood and begins searching for news of his father.
The Return Home
After ten years of wandering, Odysseus finally reaches Ithaca.
Rather than revealing himself immediately, he disguises himself as an elderly beggar in order to see who remains loyal.
Only a few faithful servants recognize him.
He secretly reunites with Telemachus, and together they prepare to reclaim the palace.
The Contest of the Bow
Penelope announces that she will marry whichever suitor can string Odysseus' enormous bow and shoot an arrow through a line of axe heads.
None of the arrogant suitors can even string the weapon.
The disguised Odysseus calmly steps forward.
He effortlessly strings the bow, fires the perfect shot, and reveals his true identity.
Final Battle
The climax becomes a brutal siege inside the palace.
Odysseus, Telemachus, and their loyal servants battle the many armed suitors room by room.
Using his intelligence, combat experience, and knowledge of the palace, Odysseus defeats every invader.
Only after restoring justice does he finally reunite with Penelope.
Rather than immediately embracing him, Penelope tests whether the man before her truly is her husband.
When Odysseus correctly describes the secret of their marriage bed—a detail only the two of them could know—she realizes he has truly returned.
The family is finally reunited after twenty years apart.
Themes
Nolan's adaptation explores several major themes:
The meaning of home — Odysseus discovers that no treasure or power is more valuable than returning to his family.
The cost of war — Although he survives Troy, Odysseus carries emotional scars that last throughout his journey.
Pride versus wisdom — His greatest setbacks often result from moments of arrogance rather than weakness.
Perseverance — Every challenge tests his endurance, intelligence, and hope.
Faithfulness — Both Odysseus and Penelope remain devoted to each other despite years of separation.
Rather than focusing solely on monsters and action, the film presents Odysseus as a flawed but resilient hero whose greatest victory is not defeating mythical creatures, but finding his way back to the people he loves.