Christopher Nolan Reveals Why the Odyssey Needed to Be ‘Biggest' Movie He’s Made

Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey is set to be one of the biggest films of the year. Recently, Nolan revealed why the movie had to be the biggest he’s ever made, too.

Why did The Odyssey have to be the biggest movie Nolan’s ever made?

Speaking during a recent interview with 60 Minutes, Nolan opened up a bit about his upcoming movie. Nolan noted that, when it came to taking on the movie, it was all about “scale,” and adapting such a large story meant a large movie.

“It does become about scale. It needed to be the biggest film that we had done. It needed to be challenging to all of us, because that’s the nature of the story,” Nolan said. The interview then briefly touches on Matt Damon’s role, with Nolan joking that they “put him through his paces” on the movie while a voiceover of Damon confirms it was the “hardest movie” he’s ever worked on by far.

Nolan’s interview with 60 Minutes will air on Sunday on CBS, check out the snippet below:

The Odyssey features an absolutely star-studded cast that includesTom Holland,Robert Pattinson,Matt Damon,Anne Hathaway,Mia Goth, Benny Safdie,Jon Bernthal,Lupita Nyong’o,Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin,Samantha Morton,Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Corey Hawkins, Josh Stewart, Jimmy Gonzales, Maurice Compte, and many more.

“Christopher Nolan’s next film The Odyssey is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology,” Universal said about the upcoming film. “The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhereon July 17, 2026.”

The Odyssey is one of two ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer, a Greek poet who is also credited as the author of the Iliad and who is often seen as one of the most influential and important authors in human history.

The Odyssey follows the story of the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he journeys home after the Trojan War. Presumed dead, Odysseus’ wife Penelope and son Telemachus contend with various suitors who compete for Penelope’s hand in Odysseus’ absence.

The Odyssey is thought to have been written sometime in the 8th or 7th century BC and is one of the most important works in literary history.

The Odyssey is set to premiere in theaters on July 17, 2026.