A new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated mythic action epic has been released to theaters
Immerse yourself in the world of The Odyssey, a cinematic masterpiece directed by the Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson.
Image courtesy of Universal
Nolan’s The Odyssey might be months away, but recently an all-new teaser trailer attached exclusively to Avatar: Fire and Ash surfaced on social media (via the SFFGazette.com) with the official release expected on December 21st. This comes just days after a nearly 6-minute prologue for the legendary tale premiered in select IMAX theaters.
The teaser shares a glimpse of what looks to be a visually grand, intense, and faithful adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem that tells the story of the hero Odysseus and his long, perilous journey home to Ithaca after the fall of Troy.
“The Odyssey” The story of the Trojan Horse and the destruction of Troy is told in the Odyssey. Image courtesy of Universal
Damon is front and center in this teaser trailer that begins with a shot of fallen soldiers. Damon’s Odysseus says, “After years of war, no one can stand between my men and home. Not even me.” While he’s speaking, you get various shots of his character along with Hoyte van Hoytema’s breathtaking cinematography and Ludwig Göransson’s unbelievably intense, epic, and propulsive score.
“The Odyssey” hits theaters nationwide on July 17, 2026. Image: Universal
The teaser continues with short clips of the perilous journey that Odysseus and his soldiers take along with a glimpse of the mythical Cyclops creature in a cave in what looks to be quite possibly the underworld.
This epic practical filmmaking comes at a heavy cost, however, and it’s been reported that The Odyssey‘s budget is a whopping $250 million. Image courtesy of Universal
The trailer ends with Anne Hathaway’s character saying, “Promise me you’ll come back,” with Odysseus responding, “What if I can’t?”
The film marks Nolan’s directorial comeback after his Oscar-winning biopic ‘Oppenheimer’ in 2023. Image courtesy of Universal
Other scenes include an ambitious sequences set at sea, a new look at Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland as Telemachus and Penelope, Odysseus’s wife and son along with plenty more epic visuals.
The tale is based on myth rather than historical fact. Nolan plans to depict divine interventions as things once explained by science (lightning, volcanoes), making the gods feel more tangible. Image: Universal
THE ODYSSEY looks mythic, haunting, and grand in scope. It really feels like you’re watching something historic. This is a film that demands to be experienced in an IMAX theater. The aesthetic is cohesive and immersive, supported by sound design and landscapes that feel vast, ancient, and alive.
Matt Damon captures the quiet exhaustion of a man shaped by years of survival, loss, and persistence.
Matt Damon as Odysseus in ‘The Odyssey’. Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal
Recently, Empire Magazine debuted a world-exclusive first look at Damon in the film, with the actor revealing that the project is “exactly what you want from a summer movie.” The actor described Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic as a blend of scale, sincerity, and cinematic muscle, and said it was the best filming experience of his entire film career.
“I can say, without hyperbole, that it was the best experience of my career,” Damon said of the shoot. The film’s scale is staggering: vast ocean sequences, sprawling set pieces across multiple continents, and thousands of extras. The actor recalled one particularly jaw-dropping sight: “I saw the [Trojan] horse on the beach and I was just like, ‘Fuck.’ It was just so cool.”
The star-studded line-up also stars Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Will Yun Lee, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Corey Hawkins, Josh Stewart, Jimmy Gonzales, Maurice Compte, and Logan Marshall-Green.
This film sees an all-star cast come together to bring this epic story to the big screen, with many of Nolan’s former collaborators returning. That includes Matt Damon and Benny Safdie. Image: Universal
Nolan has also unveiled a carefully structured theatrical rollout that reinforces his long-standing belief that cinema should first be experienced on the biggest possible screen, in the most uncompromising format available. The Odyssey is historic for being the first feature-length movie shot entirely using IMAX 70mm film cameras.
Due for launch on July 17, 2026, Nolan’s latest film, after previously helming the blockbusters Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, Oppenheimer, and The Dark Knight Trilogy, has a limited number of available tickets that went on sale during the summer—over a year in advance of its opening. Universal’s unprecedented move of offering tickets to select Imax 70mm screenings of “The Odyssey,” exactly one year to the day ahead of its debut, yielded nationwide sell-outs within minutes. Some social media users gleefully posted receipts for their tickets, while many more were unsuccessful due to sluggish, stalled theater websites.
Universal Pictures has now officially released the official teaser trailer for Nolan’s The Odyssey online today. Check it out!
The poster for “The Odyssey,” in theaters July 17, shows ancient armor. Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
“So, you ask me the name I’m known by, Cyclops?
I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-gift
as you’ve promised. Nobody—that’s the name my mother and father call me, as well as all my friends.” The Odyssey, Odysseus, Book IX
Chad Stevens is a freelance writer who has contributed to StarWarsNewsNet.com, MovieNewsNet.com, Outerplaces.com, Nerdist, and more. Follow me on X @RealChadStevens to talk about Star Wars, Star Trek, Apple computers, and more.
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