'The Odyssey': First Looks at Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth and Tom Holland

We already have what we expected first official looks to the next film project Christopher Nolan, The Odisseywhich adapts Homer's epic poem.

With Nolan at the helm of the feature film as writer and director, Universal Pictures The marketing campaign that revealed the first poster a few weeks ago continues.

Now it's time to take a look at the protagonists with the images shared by Empire. In them we see Matt Damon assuming the leading role as Odysseus, Tom Holland like his son Telemachus, Anne Hathaway like Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and Mia Goth playing Melanto, one of the palace maids, who in the medium's words, “maybe not entirely honest.”

For Damon and Hathaway it is a new collaboration with Nolan. Both were part of Interstellarwith Hathaway also participating in The Dark Knight Rises.

Based on the ancient epic poem by Homer, The story 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 (played by Holland in the film). The story also includes gods such as Athena, Poseidon, and Zeus.

The rest of the star cast includes Zendaya (Euphoria), Lupita Nyong'o (A Quiet Place: Day One), Robert Pattinson (Die My Love), Charlize Theron (The Old Guard 2), Jon Bernthal (The Bear), John Leguizamo (The Green Veil), Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer), Himesh Patel (Tenet), Elliot Page (Inception), 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).

Filming ended in recent weeks, after having been carried out 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.

The production of The Odyssey used new technology IMAX.

IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond previously told Variety that the filmmaker will experiment with “new IMAX technology,” and “equipment never used before.”

The Odyssey was previously adapted into the Italian film Ulysses from director Mario Camerini and star Kirk Douglas. In 1997, Andrei Konchalovsky adapted it into a miniseries with Armand Assante in the lead role. The most recent adaptation is the 2024 film, The Return, by Uberto Pasolini, with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche in leading roles.

Nolan will produce alongside his associate and wife, Emma Thomasfor their production company, Syncopy.

Universal set its premiere in theaters for July 17, 2026. It will include IMAX theaters.

First looks: