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“The Odyssey” hits theaters on July 17, and director Christopher Nolan is bringing the 3,000-year-old Greek epic to the big screen in a project that cost over $250 million to make — marking the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX cameras.
With a star-studded cast, award-winning director and an already striking 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Odyssey” is set to be one of the most anticipated films of this year.
But if you never read the classic tale in school or simply need a refresher, you’ll want to brush up on your history before heading to the theater, so come prepared with more than just snacks and a Diet Coke.
What is the plot of “The Odyssey ” and who wrote it?
The Odyssey is a 24-book epic poem by ancient Greek poet Homer that follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, on a ten-year journey home from the Trojan War.
Over the ten years, he runs into different mythical creatures and gods who are continuous obstacles on his journey home. Poseidon, god of the sea, sends storms and shipwrecks on the path home to get revenge on Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus.
Back at home, Odysseus’ loyal wife, Penelope and their son, Telemachus, are waiting for Odysseus’ return. In the meantime, Penelope is besieged by 108 suitors trying to take the throne, specifically Antinous, who plots to kill Telemachus.
Odysseus continues to go through turmoils, but the goddess Athena helps him return home to Telemachus, his son, whom he has never met. Together, the father-son duo devises a plan to murder all of Penelope’s suitors to regain control of Ithaca, and the epic ending unfolds.
What are the historical origins of “The Odyssey”?
Homer is said to have written both the Iliad and the Odyssey, but these stories are some of the oldest works of literature (8th century BC) that scholars believe started as oral tradition and were passed down generationally. The written work may have been written by multiple people over time, but is overall attributed to Homer.
The story itself, which spans both The Iliad and The Odyssey, is considered myth, since the gods are “personified characters” with mythical creatures. But the settings and cultures they are based on are rooted in history. The city of Troy was thought to be a fictional city, but excavations found in modern-day Hisarlik, Turkey, match its description and location.
Who is in the cast of “The Odyssey”?
Nolan has cast a star-studded lineup for the film. Here’s how to
- Matt Damon plays Odysseus, also known as Ulysses.
- Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, his wife
- Tom Holland plays Telemachus, his son.
- Robert Pattinson plays Antinous, the most violent of Penelope’s suitors
- Zendaya plays Athena, the goddess helping Odysseus.
- Charlize Theron plays Calypso, the nymph on Ogygia Island.
- Samantha Morton plays Circe, the sorceress who turns Odysseus’s companions into pigs.
- Lupita Nyong’o plays both Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra.
- Jon Bernthal plays Menelaus, Helen’s husband who’s the king of Sparta.
- Benny Safdie plays Agamemnon, Menelaus’s brother and commander of the Greeks at Troy.
- John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus, the faithful swineherd.
- Bill Irwin plays the cyclops Polyphemus.
- Elliot Page plays Sinon, the soldier who convinces the Trojans to bring the horse inside the city walls.
- Himesh Patel plays Eurylochus, Odysseus’s lieutenant.
- Mia Goth plays Melantho, Penelope’s maid.
- Travis Scott plays Demodocus, the court bard of the Phaeacians.
Nolan tried to make the film a Homer film, based on The Iliad, back in 2004, but it ended up getting directed by Wolfgang Petersen. Nolan moved on to other works like “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception,” “Interstellar,” “Dunkirk,” “Tenet,” and “Oppenheimer.”
After grossing nearly a billion dollars from his “Oppenheimer” phenomenon, he decided to take on “The Odyssey” and told Time, “It’s an odd gap in movie history,” for having never been done before.
What to know about director Christopher Nolan’s filming process
Filming took a total of ninety-one days, spanning six countries: Morocco, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Scotland and the United States. He avoided any use of CGI or green screens. The Greeks’ ship was a real ship that sailed across the Mediterranean and the Cyclops is a combination of animatronics, puppets, and some computer graphics.
The Odyssey is the first film entirely shot with IMAX cameras, which were heavy enough that helicopters had to hoist them up the rocky slopes. The actors couldn’t see each other’s faces from the bulky cameras during filming, so they used a mirror system to see one another.
If you hear a distant siren song, you can head to the theater to witness Homer’s foundational saga.
