Zach Luniewski
Christopher Nolan, a brilliant director known for his works “Inception” and the “Dark Knight” series, is currently working on a movie based on Homer’s Greek epic, “The Odyssey.” Even though this story has been told in many adaptations, including the 1954 “Ulysses” and the TV show “The Odyssey,” Nolan fans are looking forward to seeing how he will put his spin on this classic tale.
Nolan is known for creating mind-bending movies that break reality. Some of the most intricate movies of the 21st century include his “Interstellar,” “Inception,” and most recently, “Oppenheimer.” With Nolan’s history of groundbreaking storytelling and directing techniques, including breaking timeline norms, his version of “The Odyssey” could be one of the best seen to date.
If you’ve never had to read “The Odyssey” in English class (or if you just didn’t pay attention in class), here’s the plot in a nutshell: Odysseus, a Greek warrior, is making his way home after the Trojan War, and in doing so, encounters terrifying monsters and many twists and turns on his journey to see his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus.
Currently in production, “The Odyssey” is being filmed in multiple locations around the Mediterranean Sea, including in Greece and Italy, exactly where Odysseus’ character would have traveled. Contrary to films created on green screen, this should give authenticity to the location and events in Nolan’s version.
The film looks to have an all-star cast, with Matt Damon as Odysseus, and co-stars including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson.
Creating this movie will have its challenges. Homer’s “The Odyssey” is an ancient historical epic, and Nolan needs to figure out how to incorporate its themes into a version that will please modern audiences. Also, since Nolan is known for his preference for using practical effects–rather than relying on CGI–in his films, it will be interesting to see how he tackles the issue of creating sea monsters to the magnitude imagined in Homer’s epic.
“The Odyssey,” scheduled for a release date of July 17, 2026, looks to be a mesmerizing experience like the rest of Nolan’s films. As Christopher Nolan said, “Every film should have its own world, a logic and feel to it that expands beyond the exact image that the audience is seeing.”