“Tell me about a complicated man. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy.” So opens Emily Wilson’s translation of Homer’s Odyssey, one of the oldest surviving works of literature. Hers is the first major translation of the epic poem by a woman.
I studied Classical Civilisations at university. Although I translated Virgil’s Aeneid, I never studied Ancient Greek, so I did not have the opportunity to attempt to translate the Odyssey or the Iliad (its predecessor). But I studied both. When I first learned that Christopher Nolan was adapting the timeless epic, I was intrigued. Not only because it is a tale of romance and adventure, of loss and lust, of gods, demigods and men, but also I was intrigued about the translation. Words have power, so says the writer, and whichever translation Chris chose to adapt should give an insight into the atmosphere and emotion he is trying to convey.
The one I studied at university (shout out to Professor Michael J Clarke) was more poetic.
“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns, driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy,” Robert Fagles translates the same opening line in his translation released in 1996. See the difference?
Emily Wilson’s was Chris’s choice. Hers is more modern, clear and concise. This tells me that this movie will be brutal and honest in its depictions of Odysseus’s adventures and trials. The language will be straightforward and uncomplicated, unlike its protagonist. With Nolan’s love of using practical effects and the fact that he literally helped create a new IMAX camera in order to film this epic, it should be an incredible sight to see.
For those curious to witness Christopher Nolan’s “complicated man”, who “wandered and was lost”, here’s everything we know about his upcoming epic. It is releasing in Australian cinemas on July 16, 2026.
Is The Odyssey going to be a movie?
Yes, in December 2024, Universal announced that a film adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey was in the works.
The official teaser of The Odyssey gave a brief look at what we can expect from Christopher Nolan’s take on the saga.
Watch it below:
The latest trailer for The Odyssey was released in early May. Unlike the teaser, we see more of the characters taking part in this epic film.
We see and hear Charlize Theron as the nymph Calypso speaking with Odysseus (played by Matt Damon), asking him what he remembers. He responds to a wife, Penelope, and a son, Telemachus, and we see visuals of Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland. For those curious, and SPOILERS for those who aren’t, after landing on her island of Ogygia after the Battle of Troy, Calypso is one of the many obstacles on his journey home. She falls in love with him and offers him immortality in exchange for remaining on her island.
We also see Robert Pattinson (who plays Antinous) vying for Penelope to take him as her husband, as Odysseus isn’t expected to return home. And Cyclops!
Watch it below:
Is Christopher Nolan doing The Odyssey?
When Universal made the announcement, they confirmed Christopher Nolan – the two-time Oscar winner behind Oppenheimer, Inception, Interstellar, Memento, and Tenet – would direct The Odyssey.
Is Matt Damon playing Odysseus?
Yes, Matt Damon will play Odysseus, the legendary king of Ithaca. Yes, yet another film portraying Matt Damon trying to go home (just like Interstellar, The Martian, and Saving Private Ryan).
Images of Matt on set leaked in March 2025 and went viral, namely because of how brawny the 54-year-old looked.
In addition to Matt, The Odyssey cast list includes:
Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Nick E. Tarabay, Jimmy Gonzales, Maurice Compte, Michael Vlamis, Iddo Goldberg, Josh Stewart, Cosmo Jarvis, and Ryan Hurst.
Who will Zendaya play in The Odyssey?
Speculations are rife when it comes to who Zendaya will play in The Odyssey. Some were convinced she would play Nausicaa, the princess of Scheria who helps Odysseus when he’s shipwrecked, or Calypso. However, the two-time Emmy winner plays Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, who is a fan of Odysseus and his leadership during the Trojan War.
What is the story of The Odyssey?
The Odyssey, attributed to Homer, is an ancient Greek epic poem that follows the hero Odysseus’ long journey home after the Trojan War.
Delayed by vengeful gods, mythical creatures, and treacherous encounters, Odysseus faces trials like the Cyclops Polyphemus, the enchantress Circe, and the deadly Sirens.
Meanwhile, in Ithaca, his wife Penelope fends off suitors vying for her hand, believing Odysseus to be dead.
But after a decade of peril, Odysseus finally returns in disguise, outwits the suitors, and reclaims his throne.
The Odyssey will release in cinemas in Australia on 17 July, 2026.
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