Christopher Nolan Just Announced His Cast For The Odyssey And I'm Literally Having A Film Geek Meltdown Right Now

    You are not ready for this.

    Okay, I’m already spiraling and the movie isn’t even out yet. Over the past few months, Christopher Nolan has been slowly assembling the cast for his next project, The Odyssey—and if you’re anything like me (aka someone who’s still emotionally wrecked from Cooper crying out "Murph" in Interstellar), this already feels like a big deal.

    We’re talking Tom Holland and Zendaya reuniting on screen (!!!), and Matt Damon looking like he just emerged from a wilderness survival show.

    Nolan hasn’t revealed much—because of course he hasn’t—but the whispers are already enough to make any Nolan girlie (MEEE) lose her mind just a little.

    But before we spiral any further, let’s take a look at this absolutely stacked cast.

    So far, 19 cast members have been announced—yes, you heard that right. Nineteen. While not all their roles have been revealed yet (classic Nolan mystery mode), we do know that Matt Damon is stepping into the role of Odysseus and Tom Holland will be playing Telemachus.

    Just that duo alone is enough to make my brain short-circuit, but wait, there’s more.

    We’re also getting Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’O, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Cosmo Jarvis, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Will Yun Lee, and Jesse Garcia. Like… how is this even real?

    +11

    A few stars have started to drop little hints, and yes, we’re clinging to every word. Jesse Garcia, fresh off Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip, told Cinemablend that the movie is “huge” in every sense of the word. In his words:

    “It’s epic on all aspects. It’s huge. There’s gonna be a lot of stuff in this movie that hasn’t been captured on film before. So it’s gonna be a spectacle.”

    People wearing life vests on a Viking-style boat at sea, engaged in conversation

    Matt Damon has finally said something about The Odyssey, and while it’s short, it’s very on brand. Per The Hollywood Reporter, when asked about the film, he simply said:

    “I literally have an odyssey in front of me.”

    A person in ancient warrior attire with a plumed helmet stands in profile, wearing a draped cloak and metal armor in a historical setting

    Classic Damon. He didn’t spill any plot details, but that one line is doing a lot. Given Nolan’s track record of going big—Interstellar, Tenet, Oppenheimer—and Damon’s history of surviving space and war under Nolan’s direction, we know this is going to be massive.

    John Leguizamo recently dropped a behind-the-scenes nugget in an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. He said:

    “Dude, you know the thing is, okay he’s got a crazy budget, it’s not small, but he runs like an indie film because he’s not doing it by committee, he’s not doing it by what the studio says.”

    People in ancient warrior costumes stand near a tree, adjusting their armor and helmets. Crew members assist with preparation

    So basically: massive budget, but full creative control? Only Nolan could make a giant studio epic feel like a passion project.

    That’s all we know for now, but if history’s any indication, Nolan’s about to break our brains (and possibly our hearts) in the best way possible. The Odyssey is set to hit theatres on July 17, 2026, and yes, I’ve already marked my calendar, cleared my schedule, and emotionally prepared myself for another round of existential crisis. See you in line.