Photo Credit: Universal Pictures
Everyone is excited to see The Odyssey, but the forthcoming Christopher Nolan movie could be suffering from one big problem.
The Odyssey will be released in United States theaters this summer from Universal Pictures. Written and directed by Nolan, the movie is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic.
The star-studded cast of The Odyssey includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Jon Leguizamo, Himseh Patel, Mia Goth, Elliot Page, Travis Scott, Bill Irwin, and many more.
What is the potential problem with The Odyssey?
While it’s intriguing to see so many people cast in Nolan’s movie, the film may be overstuffed to a point where it becomes a problem. The story largely focuses on Damon’s Odysseus character, meaning he’s likely going to be on the screen more than anyone. Not too much has been revealed about the plot as of yet, meaning it’s tough to say how much screen time everyone else is going to get; however, there are so many recognizable actors involved that it could prove to be distracting.
This isn’t exactly new for Nolan — he often assembles a huge cast whenever he’s working on something. Sometimes, that works out really well; Robert Downey Jr. was able to disappear into the role of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, which won him an Academy Award. Yet, in the same movie, you also have actors like Rami Malek and Dane DeHaan show up for just a quick scene, and their presence doesn’t add much except that it makes everyone stop and say, “Hey, I recognize that person.”
Oppenheimer isn’t necessarily hurt by this; it’s still a great movie. And The Odyssey could still very well be great. However, this also is set right after the events of the Trojan War, meaning this takes place way in the past. And if The Odyssey does the same thing as Oppenheimer, where a celebrity shows up and then leaves after three minutes, it could wind up feeling like a collection of cameos rather than a coherent story that audiences can get fully invested in.
The Odyssey arrives on July 17, 2026.
