Christopher Nolan's New Film Is An Adaptation Of The Odyssey

Posted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: christopher nolan

Christopher Nolan's New Film Is An Adaptation Of The Odyssey

Universal Pictures has revealed that the next film from director Christopher Nolan will be The Odyssey, which will be released in theaters on July 17, 2026.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:18:06 -0600
by Kaitlyn Booth
|
Comments

Article Summary

• Christopher Nolan directs 'The Odyssey,' debuting July 17, 2026, with Tom Holland among the star-studded cast.
• Nolan's adaptation brings Homer's epic to life using groundbreaking IMAX technology across global locations.
• Returning to Universal, Nolan capitalizes on the 'Oppenheimer' success, cementing a strong partnership post-Barbenheimer.
• With 'Oppenheimer' earning $976M and capturing awards, expectations soar for Nolan's imaginative take on a classic tale.

Well, it turns out that Tom Holland isn't going to be left in the dark regarding the Christopher Nolan movie he just signed on to star in. Ever since the new film was announced, there has been all sorts of speculation as to what it is about, but no one was confirming anything at the time. However, the Universal Studios official X/Twitter account posted the following, confirming that Nolan is adapting one of the most famous stories of all time. "Christopher Nolan's next film 'The Odyssey' is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer's foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026."

The Odyssey has been adapted in many ways by hundreds of different people, so aside from adding that Nolan touch, one has to wonder what exactly he's doing to make this one stand above the dozens of others out there for everyone to see. The nice thing about stories like The Odyssey and other epics like it is that using that story as the frame or the DNA for a story and building something new around it is very common. Less "adaptation" and more "inspired by." We'll have to see what Nolan cooks up for us.

Christopher Nolan Returning To Universal Makes Total Sense On Every Level

At the beginning of October, it was officially announced that Christopher Nolan would be returning to Universal for his next film following the success of Oppenheimer. It seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for Nolan's relationship with Warner Bros. Universal, which appears to be giving him whatever he wants, which makes sense considering the whole Barbeheimer thing, the box office, and the awards seasons. Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, and Robert Pattinson have reportedly joined the cast, and the untitled film has a prime-time release date of July 17, 2026.

What happened with Oppenheimer in the summer of 2023 was one of those beautiful and possibly once-in-a-lifetime moments. The way the world leaned into the Barbenheimer thing and proved that there was space for two excellent films to open simultaneously without cannibalizing each other was almost unheard of. People will try to make it happen again, but it was an organic thing that came about with no influence from studio marketing. Studio marketing and everyone involved decided that leaning in was the way to go, and it worked out well for everyone.

Barbie ended up with a total box office of $1.45 billion and a place in the pop culture landscape that isn't going away anytime soon. Nolan's Oppenheimer walked away with a sweet $976 million, becoming the third highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time [at the time of writing] and securing its place in the pop culture conversation by becoming a slow-moving character piece that did numbers. Oppenheimer also won seven Academy awards, including the coveted Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor. So it's not surprising that Universal happily courted Nolan again and is likely doing exactly what Warner Bros. did in the hay day of their partnership: writing him a blank check and setting him loose on a movie set.

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!