Christopher Nolan has been assembling one of the most impressive casts we've seen in quite a while for his upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey, and the trades have now confirmed that Elliot Page is the latest actor to join the ensemble.
Page, who previously worked with Nolan on Inception, joins Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie and John Leguizamo.
In addition, Daniel Richtman - who broke the news of Page's casting - is reporting that Mia Goth (Infinity Pool, MaXXXine) has also signed on for an undisclosed role.
We don't actually know who anyone is playing, but Damon and Holland are said to be the leads, which would suggest that the former will play Odysseus and the Spider-Man star his son, Telemachus.
"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.
Will Nolan's take feature gods and monsters? We assume the filmmaker will want to helm a faithful adaptation, but there's always a chance he will decide to do a more grounded version of the story.
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.
Holland was quizzed about the project during a recent interview, but claimed to have been kept in the dark during his initial meeting with Nolan.
“To be perfectly honest, I don’t really know what it’s about,” the actor said on The Dish podcast. “I’m super excited, but it’s been pretty quiet about the project. I met with [Nolan] and it was awesome. He kind of loosely pitched what it is, and I’m sure when he’s ready he’ll announce what it’s about.”