Universal Pictures has released the first teaser trailer for The Odyssey, the highly anticipated new film by Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan, bringing Homer’s epic poem to the big screen in what promises to be one of the most ambitious projects of his career.

The film follows the legendary hero Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, on his perilous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Universal had previously shared a first image from the production in February, showing Damon in character, but the newly released teaser offers audiences their first moving glimpse of Nolan’s cinematic vision.

In the trailer, Odysseus and his men are seen shipwrecked and battling through a dangerous voyage filled with trials across land and sea. Scenes also revisit the Trojan Horse, with Odysseus and Greek warriors hidden inside — footage that had earlier appeared in a six-minute prologue shown during select 70mm IMAX screenings of Sinners and One Battle After Another.

According to Variety, the teaser features sweeping shots of rugged landscapes, stormy seas, and dark caves, where a “menacingly creature” appears to lurk. The trailer also introduces Tom Holland as Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, his faithful wife.

The ensemble cast includes Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, Robert Pattinson, and John Leguizamo. Nolan not only directs but also writes the screenplay, while producing alongside his wife and longtime collaborator, Emma Thomas.

Universal announced last December that The Odyssey is being filmed across the world using brand-new IMAX technology. Studio executive Jim Orr told CinemaCon audiences to expect “a visionary, one-of-a-kind cinematic masterpiece that even Homer himself would likely be proud of.”

Leguizamo recently praised Nolan’s approach, saying on MSNBC’s Morning Joe that the director works like “an independent filmmaker, but with crazy money,” adding that he is not driven by studio mandates or committee decisions.

The six-minute prologue, already screening in select IMAX theaters, opens inside the Trojan Horse, with Damon’s Odysseus and Bernthal among the hidden warriors. The scene builds tension through sound rather than dialogue — heavy breathing, creaking wood, and clashing metal — before erupting into a brutal, unglorified assault as Troy begins to fall.

Accompanied by an ominous score from composer Ludwig Göransson, the sequence sets a darker, more visceral tone, suggesting Nolan’s adaptation will explore the myth with realism and psychological intensity rather than romantic heroism.

Tom Holland, who plays Telemachus, has described The Odyssey as a career-defining experience. Speaking to Agence France-Presse, he said, “The script is the best script I have ever read,” calling Nolan “a true collaborator” who welcomes ideas while maintaining a clear vision.

In a recent interview with GQ, Holland added that working with Nolan and Emma Thomas was “the job of a lifetime,” saying, “I don’t think the film will be anything like we’ve ever seen before.”

Fresh images published by Entertainment Weekly have further fueled anticipation, showing Damon, Hathaway, Holland, Pattinson, and Himesh Patel — who plays Eurylochus — in character. Nolan reunites with Damon after Oppenheimer and with Hathaway following past collaborations including The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar.

Release Date

The Odyssey is scheduled to hit cinemas worldwide on July 17, 2026, with early ticket bookings already opening at venues such as Paris’ Le Grand Rex, Europe’s largest cinema.

Nolan’s most recent film, Oppenheimer, dominated the 2024 Academy Awards, winning seven Oscars. With The Odyssey, the director now turns to one of the oldest stories ever told, aiming to reimagine it for a modern audience on an epic cinematic scale.