One of the year’s most anticipated films is finally arriving in cinemas on July 17. With "The Odyssey," Christopher Nolan brings Homer’s nearly 3,000-year-old Greek epic to the big screen through a bold modern lens. Led by a seriously star-studded cast, the film transforms Odysseus’ long journey home into a globe-spanning spectacle filled with vengeful gods, mythical monsters and dangerous seas. Here is everything to know before watching Nolan’s latest cinematic event

What is The Odyssey actually about?

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At the centre of The Odyssey is Odysseus, the king of Ithaca and mastermind behind the Trojan Horse, finally heading home after ten years of war. Unfortunately, the return journey proves just as difficult, stretching into another decade as he encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, the sorceress Circe, the Sirens and the deadly Scylla and Charybdis. After blinding Polyphemus and revealing his identity, Odysseus provokes the Cyclops’ father, Poseidon, who sends storms and shipwrecks to stop him reaching Ithaca. Meanwhile, Penelope and Telemachus continue waiting for his return, even as suitors begin taking over their home and kingdom.

Who does the star-studded cast play?

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Nolan has assembled a seriously stacked cast to bring Homer’s sprawling world to life. Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, the clever but deeply flawed king of Ithaca, alongside Anne Hathaway as his wife Penelope and Tom Holland as their son Telemachus. Zendaya plays Athena, the goddess who guides Odysseus, while Robert Pattinson is Antinous, the most dangerous of Penelope’s suitors. Charlize Theron takes on Calypso, the nymph who keeps Odysseus on her island. Lupita Nyong’o plays Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, the respective wives of Sparta’s King Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and Greek commander Agamemnon (Benny Safdie). Samantha Morton portrays Circe, the sorceress Odysseus meets during his voyage, while Travis Scott appears as a bard retelling stories from the Trojan War.

Which gods, monsters and mythical figures should you know?

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The world of The Odyssey is driven as much by divine grudges as by Odysseus’ own decisions. Athena, goddess of wisdom and warfare, becomes his closest supernatural ally, drawn to his intelligence and resourcefulness. Poseidon, however, turns into his greatest enemy after Odysseus blinds Polyphemus, the sea god’s Cyclops son. His journey also brings him face to face with Calypso, who keeps him on her island; Circe, who transforms men into animals; the Sirens, whose irresistible song draws sailors towards disaster; and Scylla and Charybdis, two deadly threats waiting on opposite sides of a narrow sea passage.

How closely does Nolan’s film follow Homer’s poem?

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Rather than treating Homer’s poem as an untouchable museum piece, Nolan has reshaped it into a more immediate action-drama for modern audiences. While the original begins midway through Odysseus’ voyage, the film broadens the timeline to show the Trojan Horse and the fall of Troy directly. Nolan also swaps formal, archaic speech for contemporary dialogue and mostly American accents, giving the characters a more natural emotional rhythm. His decision to cast Travis Scott as a bard adds another modern touch, drawing a clear connection between Homer’s oral storytelling tradition and contemporary rap while keeping the spirit of the original epic intact.

Why is it Nolan’s most ambitious production yet?

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Nolan has never been known for thinking small, with films such as Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014) and Tenet (2020) already pushing blockbuster filmmaking to impressive extremes. Still, The Odyssey may be his most ambitious undertaking yet. The 91-day shoot spanned Italy, Greece, Iceland, Scotland, Morocco and Malta, taking the cast aboard functioning ships and into real coastlines, caves and unpredictable seas. Running 172 minutes, it is also the first feature shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, using 2.1 million feet of 70mm film. Together with its star-studded cast and Nolan’s cinematic vision, it is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest theatrical events. 

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