The combination of Christopher Nolan and one of the most famous Greek epic tales is nothing short of massive. As such, it’s good to be prepared before you dive in to “The Odyssey.” By watching Looper’s video above, you will be as informed as humanly possible about the ins and outs of Nolan’s latest and possibly grandest project.
The Academy Award-winning director is known for his visionary filmmaking, but his more fantastical movies like The Dark Knight trilogy, “Interstellar,” and “Tenet” have leaned toward futuristic bleeding-edge technology. This time, Nolan is going all in on heavily stylized historical epic, as befits the story of Odysseus (Matt Damon) and his arduous, multi-year travels back home from the Trojan wars.
A Greek mythos movie is a big departure for a man whose previous project was the completion of Hollywood’s bizarre and decades-long journey to make an “Oppenheimer” film. Going by what we’ve seen of the costume design and other aspects of “The Odyssey” so far, Nolan seems to be reaching toward the legendary. Time will tell whether “The Odyssey” will become one of the best Christopher Nolan movies, but it’ll no doubt be among his most interesting.
The Odyssey may be fantasy, but Nolan’s putting every bit of his usual effort in it
Universal Pictures
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” was announced in December 2024, well after the awards season glory of “Oppenheimer.” Immediately, many questioned how Nolan intended to approach the lofty subject matter in Homer’s classic epic. Would he embrace a fantastical visual and thematic style that would be a dramatic departure from his earlier works? Or will he lean for realism, and give us a film that can pass for a gritty real-life history tale, right up until the harpies and the cyclopses waltz in?
From everything we’ve seen since the first “Odyssey” trailer showcased Nolan’s massive new movie, both answers are correct. The trailer features gritty martial moments and gut-wrenching emotion, seamlessly connecting to the source material’s monsters and supernatural beats. It all looks amazing, but it’s a very different flavor of amazing than, say, “Dunkirk” or “Inception.”
There are still many mysteries to “The Odyssey” before it premieres on July 17 – but Looper’s video above will tell you all there is to know about the movie.