New Stunning Images of Matt Damon and Battle Scenes in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Revealed

Christopher Nolan’s new film The Odyssey is generating a lot of buzz, especially after Empire magazine released new images showing Matt Damon as Odysseus and a massive battle scene.

The film is an adaptation of Homer’s classic Greek epic and follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, as he tries to return home after the Trojan War and reunite with his wife, Penelope.

Matt Damon leads the star-studded cast, which also includes Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Zendaya as Athena, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron as Circe, and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, among others. Christopher Nolan wrote and directed the movie, with his wife Emma Thomas producing through their company Syncopy.

Nolan began working on the script in March 2024 and finalized the project with Universal Pictures by the end of the year. Casting took place throughout late 2024, and Damon was confirmed for the lead early last year.

Filming took place between February and August of this year in several countries, including Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, and Western Sahara. The film reportedly has a $250 million budget, making it Nolan’s most expensive project to date. It is also his first movie shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film cameras.

The story of The Odyssey follows Odysseus as he faces mythical creatures and challenges, including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe. Nolan described Odysseus as “an amazing strategist, [and] a very wily person”, emphasizing his cleverness and inventiveness as a key part of the character.

Universal Pictures plans to release the film in theaters on July 17, 2026, in IMAX, IMAX 70mm, and other premium large formats. In an unusual move, the studio made select IMAX 70mm tickets available a full year early, and many of these showings sold out within hours.

Empire’s recently released images give fans their first look at Damon in full costume and a large-scale battle scene, highlighting the film’s epic scope and visual ambition.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!