Hot on the heels of the multi-Academy Awards-winning half of Barbenheimer, Christopher Nolan is stepping much, much further back in history to adapt one of the most enduring stories of Ancient Greece. Arriving in July next year, The Odyssey will recount the 20 years of Odysseus seeking to return home, as originally told by Homer.
The epic poem of 24 books is a sprawling piece of literature, so, to recount the span of the story, Nolan has brought in quite a cohort of actors. Boasting a simply massive budget for production said to be around $250 million, they’ve certainly not scrimped in the casting department. However, questions have already been raised about the actor picks.
Who’s Playing Who in The Odyssey?
At the time of writing, a huge cast list has been announced, but only one role has been released to the public. The role is that of Odysseus, who will be played by Matt Damon. In Homer’s telling, Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, has spent ten years away due to the Trojan War. War-weary, he’s faced with greater perils and challenges to get home.
Many have questioned Damon as the lead here, but given Odysseus’ situation, he might just be perfect. Arguably, Damon’s biggest roles have come in action films, such as the Bourne series, but the actor is now 54-years-old. Like Odysseus, his fighting-fit days are behind him, but he’ll need to call on this experience to meet the new challenges.
Expect many similarities to be drawn between Damon and Odysseus after the film premieres. Along with Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Mia Goth, Jon Bernthal, Cosmo Jarvis, Lupita Nyong’o, and Zendaya will all feature in the film based on the famed poem. Presumably, Holland would play Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, and Hathaway would be his wife, Penelope.
The Start of Many Ancient Greek Retellings?
So much of Ancient Greek mythology and the works of its poets and writers have remained prevalent and popular to the modern day. The Odyssey is the second of two major epic poems by Homer. The first is the Iliad, which tells the story of the ten-year siege of Troy through close character scenes between epic battle sequences. Both The Iliad and The Odyssey are astounding stories that could easily be split into several films, which certainly wouldn’t be uncommon for the source material in modern media.
Greek myths are so sprawling that they have previously invited multiple installments in different entertainment sectors, as shown in the ever-growing collection of jackpot slots at one of the top bingo sites UK players can find. Age of the Gods is an expansive suite of games that aims to touch on as many deities as possible while dedicating a whole experience to each. Goddess of Wisdom, God of Storms, Helios, Epic Troy, and Fate Sisters simply headline the vast and popular collection. So, there is a precedent for creatives to use multiple parts for a connected Greek story.
If The Odyssey is a huge hit and told as an all-in-one story, perhaps the studio will regret not splitting it into parts. Yet, if this is the case, there’s a grand opportunity to do a prequel in several installments with Iliad. That said, The Odyssey is probably more deserving of a film series. The Return from last year had to home in on what happens after Odysseus finally makes it back to his home – the very final stretch of Homer’s poem.
Coming into production, it looks like Nolan has picked a decent lead to play Odysseus, has stacked the ranks with top-class performers, and could easily pivot into another of Homer’s stories should this one land well.
Elara is a dynamic writer and blogger who specializes in pop culture and movie reviews. With a background in film studies and journalism, she combines her deep knowledge of the entertainment industry with a sharp, insightful writing style that keeps readers coming back for more.
