Christopher Nolan says 'The Odyssey' had to be Rated R

We are now just a few days away from the theatrical release of the highly anticipated mythological action epic The Odisseyof Christopher Nolany Universal Pictures.

The film, which adapts Homer's ancient epic poem, revolves around Odysseus, king of Ithaca, on his perilous journey home after the Trojan Warexploring themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning, and fighting against divine will.

During his journey, the protagonist faces the cyclops Polyphemus, the mermaids, the nymph Calypso and the witch goddess Circe in the treacherous oceans that separate him from his native island and his wife Penelope, who breaks up a wedding procession that she weaves every night in case one of the suitors who have taken over her home ends up marrying her if her husband does not return. His memory is also guarded by his son Telemachus. The story also includes gods such as Athena, Poseidon, and Zeus.

Given the violent nature and intensity of the story, Nolan could not afford to recreate it under the PG-13 rating, which is why The Odyssey had to be yes or yes, Rated R.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Nolan explained:

“We wanted to make the most intense version… with the weapons of the time, which are more brutal, swords, bows and arrows, things like that. [Cualquier cosa menos] would be quite difficult and potentially compromising.

The Odyssey features a stellar cast led by Matt Damon like Odysseus, Tom Holland like Telemachus, Anne Hathaway like Penelope, Robert Pattinson (The Drama) like Antinous, and Charlize Theron (Apex) like Calypso.

Other star cast members include Lupita Nyong'o (A Quiet Place: Day One) as Helen of Troy, Zendaya (The Drama) like Athena, Elliot Page (Inception) as Sinon, a Greek warrior, cousin of Odysseus and a crucial figure in the Trojan War, Jon Bernthal (The Bear) as King Menelaus of Sparta, and husband of Helen, whose abduction triggered the Trojan War, Mia Goth (Pearl) like Melanto, Himesh Patel (Tenet) like Eurylochus, John Leguizamo (The Green Veil), Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer),Bill Irwin (The Dropout), Samantha Morton (The Serpent Queen), Jesse Garcia (Flamin’ Hot), Will Yun Lee (The Good Doctor), Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus, Upgrade), y Corey Hawkins (The Piano Lesson).

Nolan previously said that the film is written “non-linearly”which “It begins 10 years after the Trojan War, and? “things are not going well in his kingdom” in the absence of Odysseus.

The production used new technology IMAX and equipment never used before, making history by becoming the first narrative feature film filmed entirely with IMAX cameras. What does it mean? While filming was previously limited to filming action scenes in IMAX mainly, due to how noisy the format's cameras are for filming dialogues close to the actor, Nolan and company created a new casing for the IMAX moviecall blimpto significantly reduce noise, and film in IMAX in its entirety.

Filming took place in Morocco and Sicily, specifically on Favignana Island, a place where according to scholars, it served for Odysseus's wanderings in Homer's epic. It is believed to be the place where Homer imagined that Odysseus would disembark with his various tribulations to roast goats and stock up on food. The island, also known as “the island of the goats” is part of the Egadi Islands archipelago, off the northwest coast of Sicily.

Nolan produces with his associate and wife, Emma Thomasfor their production company, Syncopy. Thomas Hayslip is executive producer.

The Odyssey comes to cinemas on July 16, 2026 worldwide. It will include IMAX theaters, IMAX 70mm, 70mm, 35mm, Dolby Cinema, D-Box, and Premium Large formats.