According to a new rumor from MTTSH, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey will be rated R.
This would be a somewhat surprising development. Though Homer's poem certainly features enough violence and other elements to warrant an R-rated adaptation, we had assumed that Universal would push for a PG-13 in order to maximize profits. Then again, Nolan is a filmmaker who is in a position to make any type of movie he damn well pleases at this stage!
Only Matt Damon's role as Odysseus has been confirmed, but it's believed that Tom Holland will take on the role of his son, Telemachus, with Zendaya as the goddess Athena. We have also heard that Robert Pattinson will play Hermes.
Greek media site OneMan.com recently shed some light on which mythological heroes and villains a good chunk of the other actors will play.
Just in case some of these roles are supposed to be a surprise, here's your possible spoiler warning.
In addition to Damon, Pattinson, Holland and Zendaya, the movie will reportedly feature Charlize Theron as Goddess of Sorcery Circe, Anne Hathaway as Odysseus' wife Penelope, Benny Safdie as king of Mycenae Agamemnon, and Lupita Nyong'o as his wife Clytemnestra.
"Christopher Nolan’s next film The Odyssey is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand-new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026," said Universal Pictures in a statement when the project was announced.
Homer's ancient Greek poem follows Odysseus and his crew on their journey home following the Trojan War, encountering all manner of threats along the way, including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe.
The poem has been adapted (sometimes very loosely) a number of times before, starting with the 1911 silent film by Giuseppe de Liguoro, and followed by 1954’s Ulysses starring Kirk Douglas. The Cohen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) is also based on the epic adventure, as is 2024’s The Return starring Ralph Fiennes.
Anime fans may also recall the '80s Ulysses 31 series, which put a futuristic spin on the tale.
Back in 2015, Deadpool and Wolverine star Hugh Jackman was in talks to play Odysseus in an adaptation from Lionsgate and director Francis Lawrence, but the project never got off the ground.
Pattinson will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/The Dark Knight in Matt Reeves' The Batman sequel, which is expected to (finally) begin shooting before the end of the year.
The Odyssey is due for release in theaters on July 17, 2026.