Christopher Nolan offers insight on epic new film, The Odyssey
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The Odyssey is easily the most anticipated movie of 2026, with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron just some of the big names to feature.
And with Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan in charge of the blockbuster new film, it’s easy to see why so many stars were keen to get involved.
Matt Damon in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey YouTube/Universal Pictures
Nine entertainment editor Richard Wilkins flew to London ahead of the world premiere and sat down with the acclaimed director to find out more about his epic new project.
“I feel a bit tired right now, a little bit nervous... it never gets any easier putting a film out there, we make films for the theatrical audience and it’s the audience who tells us what it is,” he told Dickie.
Most people are at least a little familiar with The Odyssey, Homer’s Greek epic which sees Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, undertake a perilous journey home after the Trojan War.
Matt Damon takes on the title role, with incredible scenes showing him face off against mythical beasts such as the cyclops, sirens and the wrath of the gods.
While back in Ithaca, his wife, played by Anne Hathaway, fends off new suitors desperate to seize the throne.
“This is a tale that’s resonated with all cultures for 3000 years, it’s really a story that’s been interpreted and adapted in so many different ways, but it hadn’t been done for modern cinema,” he said.
“And as a filmmaker, particularly coming off Oppenheimer, which succeeded far beyond what we’d hoped, it gives you an opportunity you can get something made that maybe you wouldn’t have been able to.
“And so for me, The Odyssey takes on something I’ve never taken on before and I haven’t seen in modern cinema.”
The Odyssey premieres in Australian cinemas on July 16 and you can watch Dickie’s full interview with Christopher Nolan in the video above
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