Following yesterday's cover reveal, Empire Magazine has shared some new stills from Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey.
The images give us a first official look at three key characters who await Odysseus' (Matt Damon) return in Ithaca during his decade-long journey home from Troy: Tom Holland as Odysseus' son, Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as his mother and Odysseus' wife, Penelope, and Mia Goth as Melantho, "one of the maids in the palace who may not be entirely on the up and up."
Though we're still not sure which characters several main cast members from the movie's sprawling ensemble are playing, rumor has it that Zendaya is goddess Athena, Robert Pattinson will play Hermes, Charlize Theron is the Goddess of Sorcery Circe, Benny Safdie will play king of Mycenae Agamemnon, with 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.