In a sign of his clout as a filmmaker, Christopher Nolan has reportedly managed to secure a budget of $250m for The Odyssey.
In terms of budget, The Odyssey could be about to become one of the most expensive films in Christopher Nolanās career to date. If rumours are accurate, the adaptation of the epic Greek poem has a budget of $250m ā placing it in a similar arena as superhero sequel The Dark Knight Rises.
That figure, first reported by Puck, has done the rounds at other outlets, including World of Reel and Coming Soon; itās backed up (sort of) by Jeff Sneiderās earlier story that The Odyssey would be āthe most expensive film of Nolanās career.ā
Universal Pictures hasnāt, of course, talked about how much itās spending on Nolanās adaptation of an epic poem by Homer (no, not that one). While the subject matter may sound somewhat risky, given movie-goersā appetite for sequels and superhero films rather than poems from antiquity, 2023ās Oppenheimer ā about the construction of the first atomic bomb ā wasnāt obvious tentpole fodder, either, and that made $1bn for the studio.
The difference, however, is that Oppenheimer was made for the relative bargain price of $100m; presumably, a combination of a starry cast, multiple filming locations and expensive visual effects mean The Odyssey will require the resources of a huge summer DC or Marvel movie.
As is often the case with Nolan productions, plot specifics are being closely guarded. In its announcement, Universalās marketing team simply writes that The Odyssey is a “mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX technology” which “brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time.”
Filming is due to begin this month (thatās January 2025), with locations taking in the UK, Morocco and Italy before it all wraps up in April. The aforementioned starry cast includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyongāo and Charlize Theron, and there are reportedly more famous names still to be announced.
Given that Homerās poem takes in an array of sirens, monsters and angry gods, itāll be fascinating to see how Nolan ā with his noted preference for in-camera effects ā will realise it all. Interestingly, director Uberto Pasolini also adapted bits of Homerās Odyssey with his 2024 drama The Return. Its budget clearly wasnāt anywhere close to $250m, but it could at least afford an impressive cast, including Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer and Ralph Fiennes, clad in a loincloth, waving a sword about.
Given how risk averse Hollywood studios tend to be, though, itās reassuring to see something that isnāt a superhero film or a sequel get such healthy resources thrown at it.
The Odyssey is due for release in cinemas on the 17th July 2026.