After debuting in theaters this weekend with Avatar: Fire and Ash, Universal Pictures has released the first trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
This is obviously the same sneak peek that leaked over the weekend, but seeing it in glorious 4K is an entirely more satisfying experience. While the visuals are impressive, we'd bet on Nolan saving the biggest moments and set pieces for the big screen next summer.
The Odyssey's mythological creatures are, however, teased a couple of times, including the moment Odysseus and his men enter a cave and seemingly come face-to-face with the Cyclops Polyphemus.
"After years of war, no one could stand between my men and home. Not even me," Matt Damon's Odysseus says in the first half of the trailer. Later, Anne Hathaway's Penelope pleads with her husband, "Promise me you will come back." To that, he replies, "What if I can't?"
The cast of The Odyssey includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong'o, Will Yun Lee, Benny Safdie, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Corey Hawkins, Josh Stewart, Jimmy Gonzales, Maurice Compte, and Logan Marshall-Green.
"Christopher Nolan’s next film The Odyssey is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology," the movie's brief synopsis reveals. "The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to Imax film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026."
Of all the movies Nolan was rumoured to follow Oppenheimer with, a new take on the epic poem composed by Homer in the 8th Century wasn't predicted or guessed by anyone. However, the filmmaker will no doubt deliver something special here as he embarks on his first sword-and-sandals epic after missing out on 2004's Troy.
The ancient Greek poem is one of the foundational texts of Western literature. It tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. The tale includes iconic stories like Odysseus' encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in a reunion with his wife Penelope. His son, Tom Holland's Telemachus, also has a big role to play.
As noted, The Odyssey arrives in theaters on July 17, 2026.