It has been announced that Christopher Nolan’s next movie will be an adaptation ofThe Odyssey, with this being the acclaimed director’s incredibly exciting follow-up toOppenheimer.Christopher Nolan’s adaptation ofThe Odysseyhas only had a few details about it revealed, such as the fact that it will be filmed for IMAX, will release in 2026, and features a cast of Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o. While a faithful adaptation ofThe Odysseyis exciting, it isn’t the first time that Christopher Nolan has told this type of story.
The Odysseyis one of the most famous stories of all time, with it being one of the cornerstones of storytelling.The Odysseyis known for being the perfect example of the Hero’s Journey, a story structure that has been used in countless movies, books, plays, TV shows, and more throughout human history. However, the scale of Homer’s original epic makes it incredibly hard to properly adapt to film. If anyone can do it, however, it is Christopher Nolan, with him already having a background in adapting the story as one of his most famous movies from 10 years ago.
Interstellar Has A Similar Story As The Odyssey
Even Though It Isn’t A Direct Adaptation
Although Christopher Nolan’sInterstellaris not cited as a direct adaptation ofThe Odyssey, it has so many similarities and parallels that it is impossible not to notice. Firstly, themain stories of bothInterstellarandThe Odysseyare the same. InThe Odyssey, Odysseus has been away fighting in the Trojan War, with him wanting nothing more to return home to his family in Ithaca. Similarly, inInterstellar, Cooper was been away on an important mission in space, with him wanting nothing more than to return home to his family on Earth.
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Interstellar’sMurph and Tom can be seen as adaptations ofThe Odyssey’s Penelope and Telemachus, with them being left behind in their struggling homes, trying to hold things together as they await Cooper and Odysseus' return. Both stories are mainly focused on a series of vignettes, with Odysseus and Cooper traveling somewhere, getting into trouble, and escaping. On top of that, both Odysseus and Cooper have divine help on their quests home, with Odysseus getting the help of Zeus and some other gods while Cooper gets the help of the mysterious beings from the fourth dimension inInterstellar.
Interstellar Was Christopher Nolan’s Way To Put A Twist On The Odyssey
It Has Many Of The Staples Of The Director
WhileInterstellaris clearly inspired by the storytelling ofThe Odyssey, it is now a true adaptation, with it instead being the way for Christopher Nolan to put a twist on the classic story in a way that only he could. The biggest change betweenThe OdysseyandInterstellaris its updated setting.Interstellarswaps out the Greek mythos ofThe Odysseyfor a futuristic sci-fi setting, something that Christopher Nolan has tackled time and time again throughout his filmography. The heavy themes ofInterstellarcan also be found throughout Nolan’s films, with many of these not appearing inThe Odyssey.
Another major change that is a staple ofChrisopher Nolan isInterstellar’s use of time. Like many of Nolan’s other movies,Interstellaruses a unique timeline, with the characters traveling to planets where time operates differently. One planet that Cooper goes to operates so that one hour on that planet is equivalent to seven years on Earth. Not only is this a fun way forInterstellarto explore this unique timeline, but it also works as a smallThe OdysseyEaster egg, as Odysseus is stuck on Calypso’s island for seven years in the original story.
The character of Murph is also an example of Christopher Nolan putting a unique twist on a major element ofThe Odyssey, with her acting as a mix of Penelope and Telemachus. Much like Telemachus, Murph resents her father for leaving her, with this being one of the emotional cores ofInterstellar’s story. While Cooper is attempting to get home, Murph must figure out a way to solve the famine that is occurring at home, with this being a unique take on Telemachus and Penelope having to hold Ithaca together as they await Odysseus' return.
Why Christopher Nolan Is Doing The Odyssey After Interstellar’s Similarities
It Is An Interesting Challenge For The Director
One of the biggest questions surrounding Christopher Nolan’s adaptation ofThe Odysseyhas to do with why he wants to do it, asInterstellarcan be seen as Nolan’s adaptation ofThe Odysseyalready. However, Nolan’s new take onThe Odysseyis an interesting challenge for the director. Christopher Nolan has already told the story once his way, and now the director has to tackle the source material in a seemingly more accurate way, with a mythological historical epic being an entirely new genre for him.
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With his new adaptation,Christopher Nolan can’t rely on the sci-fi and wacky timeline ofInterstellar. Instead, the director has to figure out how to take a story that almost everybody knows and make it a worthwhile movie, something that is far more challenging than telling an original story inspired byThe Odyssey. While Nolan’sThe Odysseycould be great, the various adaptations from throughout history make it a more difficult film to make, with this most likely being an incredibly interesting challenge for the successful director to tackle.
Interstellar Proves Why Christopher Nolan Is The Right Director For The Odyssey
If He Made Interstellar, He Can Make The Odyssey
WhileThe Odysseywill be hard to do,if any of Christopher Nolan’s movies prove that he is the right director for the film, it isInterstellar.Interstellaris a lengthy epic filled with all kinds of storylines, a timeline that spans decades, characters that are millions of lightyears away, and heady themes. All of these aspects prove that Nolan is capable of tackling some ofThe Odyssey’s biggest storytelling challenges, with him being able to adapt the massive saga into a film that is digestible for modern audiences.
On top of that,Interstellar’s thematic density further proves thatNolan can successfully makeThe Odyssey.Interstellaralready tackles many of the themes that can be found inThe Odyssey, so it shouldn’t be hard for the director to pull them off again. WhileThe Odysseydoes run a risk of retreading what Nolan has already done inInterstellar, it makes sense to be confident that Nolan can make the upcoming adaptation great.
The Odyssey
Cast
The Odyssey is a 2026 film adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, chronicling Odysseus’s treacherous journey home from the Trojan War. The narrative explores his encounters with mythical creatures such as Polyphemus, the Sirens, and Circe, culminating in his reunion with his wife, Penelope.
