The first image of Matt Damon in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey has been revealed – check it out below.
Production has already begun on the movie, with shooting expected to kick off in Sicily in March, ahead of an announced release date of July 17, 2026.
Based on the Ancient Greek epic poem from the eighth century BC by Homer, it will star Damon as Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca as he journeys home following the Trojan War.
The first glimpse of Damon in character was leaked online on Monday (February 17), showing the actor in a battle helmet and gauntlet and robes, standing in front of a wall filled with murals. See the image below.
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
The Odyssey will mark the third collaboration between Damon and Nolan, following on from Interstellar (2014), in which he played the stranded astronaut Dr. Mann, and Oppenheimer (2023), where he portrayed General Groves, the military leader overseeing the Manhattan Project.
Also lined up for the movie are Nolan favourites Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson, as well as Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and Mia Goth.
The original text is considered one of the most influential works of all time and has been adapted for film and TV frequently over the years. Most notably, it was the inspiration for the 1954 adventure Ulysses starring Kirk Douglas and it provided the basis for the 2000 comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? which was directed by The Coen Brothers and starred George Clooney.
Last month, the filming locations were revealed, with parts of the film reportedly set to be shot on the island of Favignana, known as “goat island,” which is said to be the place where Homer imagines the hero Odysseus landing with his crew for provisions off of Sicily’s north-west coast.
Per Variety, sources say the production is also expected to film on Sicily’s Eolian islands, as well as locations in the UK and Morrocco.
Nolan is riding high after his most recent film, Oppenheimer, won Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars, as well as becoming his most successful non-Batman film to date at the box office. The film continued its dominance at home, becoming one of the best-selling DVD and Blu-rays of 2024.
Damon, meanwhile, is said to be working on a sequel to the 1999 film Dogma, the Kevin Smith title in which he and Ben Affleck starred. Speaking to a live audience in November, Smith said: “I’m fucking tickled, I found a way in,” adding that the original stars will be involved with “more than a fucking cameo”.
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