Academy Award and Golden Globe winning Director, Christopher Nolan, recently announced the title of his upcoming film—“The Odyssey”—giving fans a story to anticipate. After his success with the 2023 film “Oppenheimer,” which tackled physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s work on the Manhattan Project, Nolan has moved on to producing a much more daring narrative.
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem written by Homer around 750 BCE about Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, and his crew’s journey home after the Trojan War. The poem follows them as they face 10 years of obstacles and challenges to reach home. There have been many film adaptations of Homer’s story, such as “The Return,” directed by Uberto Pasolini, or the mini TV series “The Odyssey” from 1997, but none of these films have truly done justice to the classic, which is why some fans are skeptical about Nolan’s adaptation.
Nolan’s name was widely known after the release of “Interstellar” in 2014, starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. Before that, he had directed the hit films “Memento”, “Inception” and “The Dark Knight”. These films were praised for their innovative cinematography and allure.
“With that track record, I would think [The Odyssey] would be extremely visually appealing…that makes me excited that [Nolan’s] the one doing that,” 9th Honors Literature teacher Mrs. Andrews said.
Since the movie is based on a poem, it could be interpreted in different ways. Many film adaptations are unable to capture a story’s emotions completely in comparison to the original. Readers believe the movie will remove, or skip over events in the story deemed unimportant, or challenging to create.
Some fans are hoping for a modernization of the film and for the story to take a current setting. For example, giving the female characters more important and dominant roles may appeal to modern audiences in comparison to the traditional stereotypes of women. With a modern take, Nolan could bring more views and attraction from those who do not enjoy mythology.
“If he made it modern, then I think people wouldn’t be turned off by ‘Oh, it’s Greek mythology,’” Mrs. Andrews explained.
So far, the start of production is set for March 2025, and fans have limited knowledge on what is to be expected from the film. Nolan has announced some of the actors he will be working with, including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Matt Damon. With Nolan’s highest budget of $250 million, “The Odyssey” is sure to be one of the most anticipated films of 2026.
