An Odyssey Deserving of the Biggest Screen Possible
Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey is shot entirely in IMAX and explores themes of family and societal collapse. The film stars Matt Damon and aims to balance mythological spectacle with grounded, introspective storytelling.
Why it matters
Nolan's continued commitment to large-format cinema and practical effects remains a significant influence on the aesthetic and production standards of modern Hollywood blockbusters.
Christopher Nolan successfully brings the epic into the IMAX era.
Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures / Everett Collection July 15, 2026, 12 PM ET Share Save Emily Wilson’s celebrated translation of Homer’s The Odyssey sets aside the classic description of the epic poem’s hero, Odysseus, as a “man of twists and turns.” Instead, she goes for something more introspective: “Tell me about a complicated man,” it begins. That tweak perfectly reflects Christopher Nolan’s approach with The Odyssey , which is somehow Hollywood’s first proper adaptation of one of human history’s most enduring stories. His latest film contains many of the tale’s intricacies, its Greek gods and monsters, and its brutal, tragic sweep. But at its center is a person wondering whether he even deserves to return to the civilization that he fought so many years for.
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