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Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey: Release date, plot and trailer for epic film
The Oppenheimer director's next film looks set to be *the* movie event of 2026.
Universal
- Patrick Cremona
Published: Thursday, 16 July 2026 at 12:00 pm
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When Christopher Nolan announced back in 2024 that his follow up to the Oscar-winning biopic Oppenheimer would be an adaptation of Homer's epic The Odyssey, it quickly became apparent this would be the lauded auteur's most ambitious work to date.
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And with the blockbuster's release now imminent, the consensus is that he has well and truly delivered. The vast majority of reviews so far have been glowing in their praise, with the score on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing sitting at an impressive 96% from 199 reviews.
Our own official Radio Times verdict was just as positive, with critic James Mottram awarding the film 5 stars and calling it it a "breathtaking adaptation of Homer's classic story".
He continued: "Filled with blazing action, blood-curdling fights and creatures that truly bring Homer’s epic poem to life, this is Nolan at his finest."
Ahead of the release, we also spoke exclusively with both Nolan himself and several of the prominent cast members, with the director telling us why the film had come at just the right time of his career.
Interestingly, the film has a shorter runtime than the aforementioned Oppenheimer, but that doesn't mean that The Odyssey is short by any means – it is a true epic in every sense of the word.
Of course, the film boasts an incredibly starry ensemble cast including key roles for Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway in addition to Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel and Mia Goth.
So, when can fans expect to see it? And what exactly is the film about? Read on for everything you need to know.
The Odyssey release date
The film will be released globally on Friday 17 July 2026 — with that news having first been announced just before Christmas in 2024.
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Of course, it's no surprise that the film will arrive at the height of summer, with that time of year having long been favoured by Nolan, even when it came to the release of Tenet at the height of the pandemic.
Oppenheimer also arrived in mid-July – famously on the same day as Barbie – and no film fan will need a reminder of how successful that film proved to be.
There are no other major films set to be released on the same day as The Odyssey – so there won't be another Barbenheimer-style double bill phenomenon this time around.
The Odyssey plot
The Odyssey is one of the most famous texts ever written in any language – originating as an Ancient Greek epic poem dating to the 8th century BC and attributed to Homer.
Divided into 24 books, it tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, as he journeys home after the Trojan War.
The journey itself lasts an additional 10 years, as Odysseus has to contend with plenty of perilous hurdles, while his wife Penelope and son Telemachus also have to contend with their own fair share of problems as suitors contend for Penelope's hand in marriage while Odysseus is presumed dead.
It's safe to say that a lot happens in the story, so Nolan certainly won't have a shortage of material to work with, but it remains to be seen exactly how much of the poem the film will cover – and whether it will be set in Ancient Greece or perhaps adapted to a different place and time period.
One thing that's for sure is that he'll be able to draw on a huge variety of previous films based on the poem – which was first adapted as a silent film by Italian director Giuseppe de Liguoro in 1911 and most recently served as the inspiration for the 2024 film The Return, which stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche and was based on just the second half of the text.
So far, none of the adaptations have quite endured as beloved classics – we can't wait to see how this version measures up...
It certainly looks like the cast appreciated the experience, with Holland telling GQ last summer that it was "the job of a lifetime" and teasing that "the movie is going to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen."
Meanwhile, Universal Pictures’ president of domestic theatrical distribution, Jim Orr, praised Nolan's "visionary take" on the story of The Odyssey during the studio's presentation at Cinemacon, noting that "this film will be a once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would be very proud of."
And if you were doubting just how epic the picture might be, Nolan told Empire in November 2025 that, staggeringly, he had "shot over two million feet of film" for the movie, claiming that he had accomplished "things that haven’t been done before."
Is there a trailer for The Odyssey?
Yes several! The final trailer was released on 1 July 2026 just over two weeks ahead of the film's eventual release – giving fans the best look yet at some of the blockbuster action to come.
The first official trailer for the film had been released in December 2025, comprising just under two minutes of footage and giving us a close look at Matt Damon as Odysseus and Tom Holland as Telemachus while setting the scene for the epic. Check it out below:
Previously, a teaser that had screened ahead of Jurassic World: Rebirth in cinemas leaked ahead of its official debut. The studio moved quickly to take it down, but it was online long enough to reveal a few intriguing details about the hotly anticipated film.
Meanwhile, the longest look at the film so far – a 5-minute prologue – has also been shown in cinemas ahead of IMAX screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash. We're sure we'll get a few more glimpses of new footage between now and the film's July release, so keep checking back here for all the latest updates.
The Odyssey will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 17 July.
Book your £10 seat for the first ever Radio Times Film Night and watch Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey with fellow film fans at Odeon Luxe Islington on Thursday 23 July 2026.
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Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
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