The Odyssey‘s story features many themes that Christopher Nolan has covered in three of his films, making him the perfect director to adapt this tale. The Oscar-winning director has a unique challenge with his follow-up to 2023’s Oppenheimer. Homer’s Odyssey is one of the most famous pieces of ancient Greek literature. However, it is a dense story containing 24 books that are filled with Greek mythology and lore.

The story follows several storylines, including Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, and his son, Telemachus, who is searching for his father. Telemachus and his mother, Penelope, are also protecting Ithaca from malicious suitors aiming to take Odysseus’ place. There’s a lot to cover in this story, and Nolan will have his hands full with this story.

Odyssey has many themes and narrative beats that have defined other stories for generations. The long, treacherous journey home is a common story that has been told many different ways, but so is a child’s search for answers regarding their parents. Nolan has experience with these concepts as a few of his films are defined by similar storylines.

The Odyssey’s Story & Themes Are Present In Batman, Inception & Interstellar

These Films Deal With Lost Parents Or A Journey Homeward

Nolan has already demonstrated his ability to direct The Odyssey through Interstellar. The story essentially trades out Ancient Greece for a futuristic sci-fi setting as Matthew McConaughey’s Joseph Cooper tries to get home to his kids. His children, Murph and Tom, are stand-ins for Telemachus and Penelope as the pair tries to repair their home and protect their family, awaiting their father’s return.

Throughout the journey, Cooper encounters dangers, including the planet with mᴀssive waves and Matt Damon’s Dr. Mann, who’s tasked with preventing Cooper from returning home. Odyssey has many scenes in the ocean, especially as Odysseus tries to escape Poseidon’s wrath. The ocean planet could be seen as a nod to this story.

Meanwhile, Inception and Batman Begins also deal with similar themes. In Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Cobb is promised he can return home to his children if he successfully completes the “inception.” In Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne is defined by the loss of his parents, and even uses his father’s saying as a basis for his role as Batman.

This Further Proves Nolan Is Perfect For The Odyssey

Nolan Knows How To Express These Themes In A Film

Interstellar is essentially a test demo for Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. He’s proven he knows how to create emotion and human connection, even in sci-fi or fantastical settings, and how to craft epic sequences on a mᴀssive scale. As The Odyssey trailer demonstrated, an Ancient Greek setting gives him a creative playground where he can adapt these themes into grand, mythological environments.

The Odyssey also plays with time, bouncing between the present and flashbacks. In films like Dunkirk and Oppenheimer, the director has experimented with time, choosing when to reveal past information or how characters have collided in the past. The Odyssey is filled with elements Nolan excels at, and should be a perfect showcase for his talents.