Universal reveals details for Christopher Nolan’s 2026 film

For months, speculation has been rampant about Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to Oppenheimer, the three-hour epic that brought him Academy Awards for Best Film and Best Director. The cast gradually assembled: Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron. Could this be a vampire movie? It’s been hilariously rumored for a while that Nolan was planning a remake of John Badham’s helicopter cop flick Blue Thunder — because apparently that’s how you spend your clout after two Oscars and an R-rated masterpiece that grossed $977 million.

For those who were hoping that Matt Damon and Tom Holland would rekindle the crackling chemistry that Roy Scheider and Daniel Stern had in Blue Thunder, I have some very bad news. For everyone else, if you were hoping Nolan would push the envelope in terms of scope and technology, you’re in for an epic with an epic. I just hope you like poetry.

Homer’s “Odyssey” has been filmed many times throughout the history of cinema. Kirk Douglas played the epic hero Ulysses in Mario Camerini’s star-studded 1954 film, and more recently George Clooney sang memorably as the freedom-seeking leader, Soggy Bottom Boys in Joel and Ethan Coen’s “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Did you go to school? Have you had a tutor for at least one day on Greek mythology? You know The Odyssey. So here’s the thing. According to a tweet from Universal Pictures:

“Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is a mythical action epic shot around the world using the all-new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s seminal saga to IMAX screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.”

For those looking for a cinematic sensation, it promises to be… well, who can tell? If Nolan is using the new IMAX technology and the film is still a year and a half away, it’s impossible to tell what he’s up to. What we can certainly expect is that Nolan will devote all of his footage to the story of Ulysses, who makes the difficult journey home to Ithaca to be with his besieged wife Penelope. I’m hoping for a traditional version of the tale with sirens, sea adventures and a huge cyclops. There’s always the possibility that Nolan will update the material and set it in the present day, which could be cool too! But now I want a big Greek epic shot and presented on 70mm film. No matter how Nolan approaches it, it’s official in the cinematic event of 2026 and a film we’ll be thinking about a lot for a long time.