- Christopher Nolan’s new film will be The Odyssey
- It’s based on the classic Greek poem by Homer
- Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland and more feature in its all-star cast
The Odyssey plot is one of the few things we know for certain about Christopher Nolan’s new movie.
The Dark Knight director is currently hard at work on his thirteenth feature film, a retelling of Homer’s enduring poem.
Pre-dating Christ, this legendary text is believed to have been written as far back as the eighth century. It’s one of the oldest surviving works of literature and was divided into numerous books.
Read more: The Odyssey cast explained: Who is in Christopher Nolan’s new film?
To tell his story, Nolan has gathered an all-star cast. Matt Damon leads the way, joined by Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron. These faces will star alongside Mia Goth, Elliot Page, John Leguizamo and Jon Bernthal.
Matt Damon is Odysseus. A film by Christopher Nolan, #TheOdysseyMovie is in theaters July 17, 2026. pic.twitter.com/7a5YbfqVfG
— odysseymovie (@odysseymovie) February 17, 2025
Like many of Nolan’s movies, the exact nature of what he’s cooking up is a mystery. However, unlike his previous movies, the plot of this historical epic is in the public domain.
Read more: All we know about Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey as first look revealed
So what is The Odyssey plot and what should we expect from Nolan’s take on the story? While all elements are subject to change once filtered through the director’s lens, here’s the basic plot summary for The Odyssey in easy-to-digest terms.
The Odyssey plot summary
The Odyssey plot tells the story of Odysseus, a Greek warrior also known by the Latin name Ulysses. He’s returning home to his wife and son after a decade spent fighting in the Trojan War. However, this trip is no easy task. Along the way, Odysseus encounters future battles, difficulties and Gods, with the full return trip lasting an additional ten years.
Homer’s full story is divided into five sections or books. Books one to four provide expositional details about our hero. Odysseus has yet to return to his home of Ithaca after angering the Greek sea god Poseidon, leaving his wife Penelope and young son Telemachus to fend for themselves.
When Zeus grants Odysseus permission to leave, his journey home begins. Meanwhile, the Greek god Athena instructs Telemachus to try to find his estranged father. After growing angry at the many men longing after his mother’s hand, Telemachus sets out to find Odysseus, travelling to Troy. However, the suiters soon catch wind of this and form a plot to kill him.
Books five to eight are entitled Escape to the Phaeacians and find Odysseus as a prisoner of Calypso on the island of Ogygia. Despite having fallen in love with her prisoner, Calypso agrees to free Odysseus and he continues his journey across the sea but is quickly thwarted by Poseidon.
What happens in The Odyssey?
Waking on a nearby island, he befriends a family and tells them the story of his journeys in the Trojan War. These are continued in books nine to 12, where Odysseus shares the various elements of his time in battle. These include his men losing their memory after eating fruit that makes them forget things, angering the Gods, having his colleagues turned into pigs and sailing to the edge of the world.
In books 13 to 20, Odysseus is finally able to make progress on his return to Ithaca. Meanwhile, his son Telemachus also returns home safely from his journey to Sparta and together, they agree to kill the suiters that seek Penelope’s hand. Disguised as an old homeless person, Odysseus finally meets Penelope but she remains in the dark regarding her husband’s presence in Ithaca.
In the final four books, Penelope requests that all of her suitors compete in an archery competition with the winner gaining her hand in marriage. After winning this competition, Odysseus, Telemachus and other warriors dispatch the remaining suiters.
Finally, Odysseus is reunited with his wife, thus concluding The Odyssey plot.
