The first full trailer for The Odyssey has been released, offering a sweeping look at Matt Damon as Odysseus and his long, dangerous return home following the Trojan War.
Backed by Universal Pictures, the film is set for a theatrical release on July 17 and marks one of Christopher Nolan’s most ambitious projects to date. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is being positioned as a large-scale epic rooted in myth and spectacle.
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A journey shaped by war, myth and survival
The trailer shows Odysseus’ journey back to his homeland Ithaca, which is where he leaves behind his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and his son Telemachus (Tom Holland), who continue to encounter challenges without him around.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story follows the Greek warrior through a “long, torturous and fantastical trip home,” bringing into focus not only mortal confrontations but also mythical ones.
Some of the other significant characters that we get introduced to via the trailer are Robert Pattinson who plays Antinous, one of the suitors of Ithaca, Charlize Theron, who portrays nymph Calypso, Zendaya, playing goddess Athena, and Jon Bernthal, as Menelaus.
Nolan’s IMAX spectacle and high stakes
The film adapts The Odyssey, one of the most enduring works of ancient Greek literature, bringing its mythological world to life through large-scale visuals and practical filmmaking techniques.
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Nolan has shot the film entirely on IMAX cameras, with the trailer offering glimpses of expansive battle sequences and mythical elements, including a first look at the Cyclops and the sirens.
With a reported budget of around $250 million, the film is the most expensive project of Nolan’s career. While his previous films have delivered strong box-office results, industry observers see The Odyssey as a calculated risk given its classical source material.
