Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is the perfect excuse to read one of the greatest literary accomplishments of all time. In October 2024, it was announced that Nolan’s next movie would be an adaptation of the epic Ancient Greek poem, “The Odyssey”, by Homer. It stars Matt Damon in the lead role as Odysseus, alongside an incredible ensemble that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron. For the film, Nolan is using brand-new IMAX technology, and with an estimated budget of $250 million, it will be the most expensive movie of his career.
Other than his Dark Knight trilogy, Nolan is best known for his epic sci-fi films, such as Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet, which were all his own original ideas. However, Nolan’s latest film was an epic biographical drama, Oppenheimer, which won Best Picture and made nearly $1 billion at the box office. Unlike many of Nolan’s movies, Oppenheimer was based on preexisting source material, the biography “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Now, Nolan’s next film will be an adaptation of one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written.
Why The Odyssey Is So Highly Regarded & What It’s About
It’s One Of The Most Enduring Pieces Of Literature
The story follows Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, and his arduous journey home after the decade-long Trojan War. His journey from Troy to Ithaca spans another 10 years, during which he encounters numerous perils – including the cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch goddess Circe – and nearly all his crewmates perish along the way. Presumed ᴅᴇᴀᴅ during his prolonged absence, his wife Penelope and their son, Telemachus, must deal with a group of persistent suitors vying for her hand.
“The Odyssey” is widely considered one of the most important works in Western literature. It’s one of the oldest literary texts still in existence, as it was originally written in Homeric Greek around the 7th or 8th century BCE, and the first English translation appeared during the 16th century. “The Odyssey” is also one of the most enduring stories ever written, inspiring new adaptations, such as Nolan’s, and resonating with modern readers to this day for its adventure and timeless themes of loyalty, perseverance, and the longing for home.
Reading Homer’s The Odyssey Before Christopher Nolan’s Movie Will Help You Better Appreciate The Movie
A Great Filmmaker Is Adapting A Great Literary Work
Reading “The Odyssey” before seeing Nolan’s adaptation in July 2026 will provide a deeper appreciation for the story and, eventually, the movie. Understanding the source material will provide further insight into why the story has endured for thousands of years and why it is held in such high regard. While there are plenty of plot synopses in existence, reading “The Odyssey” itself will provide a deeper understanding of the characters, structure, and mythological elements that Nolan will reinterpret with his signature vision.
Nolan is known for masterfully blending spectacle with intellect, and his adaptation of “The Odyssey” signals his ambition to bring one of the greatest literary works to the screen on an unprecedented scale. Reading “The Odyssey” will provide a deeper understanding of why it’s such a highly regarded piece of literature, and why it’s such a big deal that one of our greatest living filmmakers is adapting one of the greatest literary works of all time. Nolan’s The Odyssey is shaping up to be a once-in-a-generation cinematic event.
Just Don’t Expect Christopher Nolan’s Movie To Be A Fully Accurate Adaptation Of The Odyssey
Nolan Should Put His Signature Stamp On The Source Material
For those who read “The Odyssey”, don’t expect Nolan’s movie to be a fully accurate adaptation. First off, the poem is quite long, consisting of 24 books of over 12,000 lines and 140,000 words. In turn, even if The Odyssey‘s runtime is 3 hours, like Oppenheimer, Nolan should still have to make some significant cuts to the story. Homer’s”The Odyssey” also begins in the middle of the overall story, with prior events described through flashbacks. While this fits Nolan’s penchant for nonlinear storytelling, don’t expect him to be bound by the exact structure of the original poem.
Like the Iliad, the Odyssey consists of 24 books.
Nolan excels at reinventing narrative conventions, so he will likely use”The Odyssey” as a framework rather than a blueprint. His focus will likely be less on direct fidelity to the source material and more on exploring its timeless story and themes through a modern, cinematic lens. In the hands of a true visionary like Nolan, even an ancient tale like The Odyssey should feel strikingly new.
